Top Ten NFL players leading the MVP race

With week 12 almost complete, we are well over halfway through the NFL regular season, but with only one team so far eliminated from post-season contention, the race for playoffs and the end of season awards are still very much open.

As Joe Burrow drops out with injuries, the Offensive Rookie of the year competition narrows down, and Ben Roethlisberger will surely snatch the comeback player of the year award away from Alex Smith. 

But the big award, the Most Valuable Player, is still up for grabs, and numerous players have strong claims.

TIBS News takes a look at which players lead the MVP race. 

1.     Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs 

At 25-years old, Pat Mahomes is set to win his second career NFL MVP award. He first won the award in 2018, and while he lost out last year to Lamar Jackson, he filled the void with a Superbowl win. 

In 2020, the reigning champs have a 9-1 record, dropping just one game to the Raiders – and Mahomes’ stats nicely compliment his teams’ record. Mahomes currently sits at second in passing yards with 3,035 (behind Deshaun Watson, who has played one more game), and most impressive of all is his 27-2 touchdown/interception ratio. The former Texas Tech quarterback’s game winning drive against Vegas seemed second nature to Mahomes, and perfectly summed why he is deserving of MVP. 

2.     Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers 

Aaron Rodgers is a contender for the MVP award every year, and 2020 is no different. The Packers cannot claim to have had the same smooth sailing as the Steelers and Chiefs, but Rodgers has managed to turn a poor offseason which says Green Bay selected his assumed successor in the first round, into a 7-3 season.

Rodgers sits much lower than most other quarterbacks on this list in passing yards, currently at sixth with 2,889. Like Mahomes, Rodgers has a desirable ratio of 29 touchdowns to just four interceptions. However, the Chiefs star currently has a big edge thanks to his record, and Rodgers will need to hope to win out the season if he wants to close the gap. 

3.     Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks 

Wilson was ranked as the second-best player in the league in 2019, runner-up to MVP Lamar Jackson, and he began the 2020 campaign as the runaway MVP front runner, passing for 14 touchdowns through the opening three games.

But there are several threats to Wilson’s claim. Following on from his electric start to the season, the Seahawks suffered two defeats on the trot, as Wilson played a noticeably poor game versus the Rams. Wilson has also had problems with turnovers, and his 10 interceptions make his league leading 30 passing touchdowns appear a lot less impressive.

Since Wilson, despite an illustrious career, is yet to receive a single MVP vote, it appears he will have to play out this world in the coming weeks to regain the lead in the MVP race. 

4.     Kyler Murray, QB, Arizona Cardinals 

Being named the 2019 OROY, Murray is far from suffering the sophomore slump that many players experience in their second year in the pros. Through 10 games, Murray has guided the Cardinals to a 6-4 record while navigating what is emerging as the most competitive division in the league, the NFC West.

Murray’s claim to the MVP race was established in week seven, with an overtime win against division rivals, the Seattle Seahawks – in which the former 1^st overall pick racked up 427 total yards, and 4 touchdowns.

The 2018 Heisman winner is no doubt turning out to be the player he was expected to be when Arizona selected him out of Oklahoma. But, as the Cardinals prepare to fight for a playoff spot with the Rams and Seahawks, perhaps winning an MVP is too much to ask. 

5.     Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers 

In 2019, the Steelers went 8-8 and missed out on play-offs after ‘Big Ben’ suffered a season-ending injury in week two. Just one season on, and they have surpassed their wins tally from 2019 in the fewest games possible, as the only unbeaten team in the league.

For this reason alone, it would be criminal to leave Roethlisberger off the MVP frontrunners list, as few players can claim to have had as big a difference on their team. 

However, Roethlisberger’s numbers this season do not face up to those posted by other players on this list. But even if the veteran Steeler does miss out on winning the MVP for another year, the 38-year-old is almost certain to win the Comeback player of the year award. 

6.     Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers  

The six-time Superbowl champion has not wasted time in his first season away from New England and is already straight back in the MVP talk.

Eleven games deep into the season, Brady is just one win away from delivering Tampa only their second .500+ record since 2010.

Despite all of this, Tampa’s week nine performance versus the Saints in which the Bucs offense was shutout of the endzone will seriously weaken Brady’s claim. That loss also meant they picked up a 0-2 regular season record against their division rival, which will not impress voters either.

But perhaps most harmful to Brady’s MVP hopes is the fact that he has thrown nine interceptions so far – which does not compare well to the few thrown by his counterparts. 

7.     Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills 

This far down the list after 10 games, Josh Allen is not likely going to win an MVP award quite yet.
However, he is on the rise. Last season, Allen got very little recognition for taking the Bills to a 10-6 record, and now at 7-3 in 2020 he is everyone’s favourite dark-horse candidate.

Allen has made great use of his offensive weapons in Stefon Diggs and Jonathan Brown, and no doubt will be rising nearer the top of this list in 2021. 

8.      Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans 

The first non-Quarterback to be named, Henry might not be the only star player on the Titans’ offence, but he is no doubt the most valuable. As a 6’3, 246lb running back, Henry appears to have all that is needed to wreak havoc on the league – and his stats show he is doing just that.

After 10 games, Henry has amounted to 1079 yards and nine touchdowns, has reached 100+ yards rushing in six games, and though he is neck in neck with Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook, has the advantage of being on a winning team.

9.     Derek Carr, QB, Las Vegas Raiders 

Derek Carr has shown this season that he is the heart and soul of the Raiders’ offence. Though many fans have had their doubts, he has made it clear that all he was ever missing was a strong receiver core.

Now, with Coach Jon Gruden supplying him with just that, Carr has made the Silver N’ Black contenders again, as they sit at second in the AFC West, and are the only team to have bested the Chiefs.

This is without doubt Carr’s strongest claim in the MVP race since 2016. 

10.  Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams 

Aaron Donald might be a long shot, but he is no doubt the number one most deserving defensive player of the award.

He has played a huge part this season in keeping the Rams afloat in arguably the most competitive division in the league. Despite being double, and often triple teamed each week, his production is yet to take a hit, tied for third in the league for sacks with 9.0.

As well as this, Donald takes so much stopping that he makes those around him better, allowing other Rams to increase their own production too.

The odds may be forever stacked against him, but Donald possesses all the desirable qualities of an MVP.

By Kit Mcintosh