Mahomes and Rodgers Stay Red Hot In Race For MVP

The race for Most Valuable Player in the National Football League appears to be down to a two-man battle between Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.  

The current narrative in the league is that the MVP award is Mahomes to lose.  

Although the betting odds are in Mahomes favor right now, Rodgers is right on his tail.  

According to Odds Shark (https://www.oddsshark.com/nfl/mvp-odds ), Mahomes odds to win are (-400) compared to Rodgers, whose odds of winning are (+400).  

Long time football fans Carter Kudick and Justin Heim were asked about the current MVP race.  

“I think Rodgers should win MVP simply because he has the most value to his team,” said Kudick. “What I look for most for deserving MVP is the stats and who contributes the most to their team’s success.”  

“What makes an MVP is someone that the team needs to win games, the Packers don’t have a defense so winning is reliant on the offense and Aaron Rodgers is the reason they win games,” said Heim.  

Rodgers currently leads Mahomes in the passing categories of completion percentage, touchdowns, QBR and passer rating while Mahomes leads Rodgers in total passing yards.  

Both quarterbacks have two rushing touchdowns on the season.  

Mahomes and the Chiefs are currently the number one seed in the AFC with a record of 12-1 and finish their season with the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers.  

Rodgers and the Packers currently hold the number one seed in the NFC with a record of 10-3 and will go up against the Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans and Chicago Bears to finish the season.  

“With the remaining schedule, I’d bet my money on Aaron Rodgers to win MVP,” said Kudick.  

This season, Mahomes has completed 68.4% of his passes for a league high 4,208 yards and 33 touchdowns while throwing only five interceptions.  

Three of those interceptions came this past Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.  

Rodgers has completed 69.6% of his passes for 3,685 yards and a league best 39 touchdowns while throwing only four interceptions.  

Rodgers is on pace to finish the season with 4,244 yards and 46 touchdowns compared to Mahomes who is set to finish with 4,769 yards and 41 touchdowns.  

Mahomes and Rodgers are no strangers to being in the race for the MVP.  

Mahomes won the award in 2018, and Rodgers has won the award twice, in 2011 and 2014.  

Both quarterbacks have had outstanding seasons and it seems that the MVP race will come down to these three final weeks.  

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russel Wilson led the MVP race from week two all the way to week 11, when Mahomes pulled ahead.  

Many people thought at the halfway point of the season that Wilson was a shoe in for MVP.  

Since then, Wilson has struggled a bit with not turning over the football.  

Wilson has been one of the league’s best at the quarterback position but has never received a first-place vote for the award.  

Last season, Wilson finished second in the MVP voting behind Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.  

Jackson is one of two players that has ever unanimously won the award, the other being quarterback Tom Brady in 2010.  

Although the race for MVP seems to be down to just Mahomes and Rodgers, it isn’t over yet.  

“I think the MVP race has become a two-man race, unless Russ (Wilson) throws for 500 yards and six touchdowns next game,” said Kudick.  

“I think it is a two man race as of right now, the only other possible candidate in my opinion would be Josh Allen,” said Heim.  

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russel Wilson and Pitsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger are the next three in the race according to Odds Shark.  

The odds for each of these players can be found at https://www.oddsshark.com/nfl/mvp-odds . 

Although it is possible for any position player to win MVP, it has been predominantly won by quarterbacks.  

In the last 25 years, the award has been won by a quarterback 19 times.  

“I don’t think it’s impossible for another position player to get MVP, it’s just very hard to do,” said Kudick. “Quarterback is the most game changing position by far and that’s why they normally win it.”  

The last time the award was won by a player of another position was in 2012 by Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.