The Final MVP Numbers: Who Takes It Home?
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This season’s NFL MVP race is tight, with many stars rising to new levels of value for their team and some players putting up unreal numbers. Depending on who you ask, the winner is unclear, but let’s take a look at who I believe are the four main candidates; Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Cooper Kupp, and Jonathan Taylor.
Up First: The Gunslinging Frontrunner, Aaron Rodgers
Rob Schumacher, The Republic
Aaron Rodgers, the reigning MVP of last season, came into this season unlike any others. In the offseason, his status as the Green Bay Packers quarterback was in question, with numerous reports of miscommunication and unhappiness plaguing his camp and the organization. His response to this drama and press: one of his best statistical years as the captain of the Packers. Rodgers finished the season with 4,115 passing yards, a crazy 37-4 touchdown to interception ratio, and league leading 110.9 passer rating and 68.8 QBR. Rodgers excelled in multiple arenas of difficulty against numerous playoff teams, and his biggest accomplishment might be his win over the then undefeated Arizona Cardinals with multiple offensive and defensive starters out. The one-two punch of his and receiver Davante Adams’ connection was proven this year to be unstoppable. Rodgers showed on multiple occasions why he is the MVP frontrunner while making it look easy at times. According to Bovada, he is currently leading the race at -400 to win the award, so will he take it for a second consecutive season?
Up Next: The Ageless GOAT, Tom Brady
Dirk Shadd, Tampa Bay Times
We all know the tale of the 44 year old phenom that is Tom Brady. 7 Super Bowls, 5 Super Bowl MVPs, most wins, 15 Pro Bowls, you know the rest of the story. But this year the 44 year old reigning Super Bowl MVP went on a tear and came out the preseason swinging. Brady started the season immediately putting up MVP numbers, and never took his foot off the gas pedal. Brady finished the season with an astonishing 5,316 passing yards (which led the NFL), 43 passing touchdowns (which led the NFL) to 12 interceptions, and also set the NFL single season record for completions with 485. Brady also led the league in throws over 20+ yards, and “big time throws” both for the second consecutive season. He finished just behind Rodgers in QBR (68.5), and posted a passer rating of 102.1, which was eighth in the NFL. Brady was also graded the number one quarterback in the league by Pro Football Focus analytics. Not only this, but Brady also dealt with numerous injuries to his offensive weapons as well, with Antonio Brown, Rob Gronkowski, Leonard Fournette, and Chris Godwin missing a combined 20 games. After a mis-step against rival Saints in week 15, Brady and the Bucs still managed to post a 13-4 record and have high hopes in repeating as Super Bowl champions. As of 1/11/22 Brady is sitting at +400 odds to win the MVP, according to Bovada, and has definitely put up the season resume to compete for the award.
Up Next: The Workhorse, Jonathan Taylor
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With Derrick Henry injured and sidelined for the Titans, the rushing title was up for grabs. And the one to take it and run was none other than Pro Bowler Jonathan Taylor. Taylor finished the season with 332 rushing attempts for 1,811 yards and 18 rushing touchdowns, all of which led the league. Accounting for his work as a passing back, he also acquired an additional 360 receiving yards and two touchdowns coming out of the backfield. These numbers don’t tell the whole story, though. If Taylor didn’t rush for at least 100 yards and score, the Colts were essentially doomed to lose. Taylor put almost all offensive production on his back and gave us one of the most dominant seasons a running back has ever had. He currently sits at +3300 to win the award, according to Bovada, and rightfully so in the race. I would love to see the award go to a running back, since we haven’t seen the position win the award since Adrian Peterson did in 2012. Will the workhorse take it home for the first time in his career?
Lastly: Every Secondary’s Nightmare, Cooper Kupp
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Cooper Kupp has soon become the LA Rams’ best receiver, led by newly acquired quarterback Matthew Stafford. Kupp finished the season with an astonishing 145 receptions, 1,947 receiving yards (just 18 shy of the all time record), and 16 touchdown receptions, leading all receivers. Kupp’s consistency to catch balls that were out of reach or over defenders is what kept his team in games and came in clutch moments to seal numerous wins. Kupp currently sits at +2000 odds to win the award, and is one of the frontrunners for Offensive Player of the Year, according to Bovada. Kupp is clearly the league’s most productive receiver and showed this every week with one unstoppable performance after the other. The game that stands out to most is his performance against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15. Kupp finished with 136 receiving yards and two scores while sending the Rams to a 10-4 record. He also surpassed the Rams’ single-season receptions record in the game as he continued his tear. No wide receiver has ever won the MVP in the NFL, but if this year is the first, we know which one it would go to.
So, the numbers are final, the playoffs are set, and the regular season awards will start coming out. The biggest of them all, Most Valuable Player, is the one talked about the most. So, who would you give it to?
My pick: Tom Brady. Those numbers are too good to overlook and at times when his team needed him, he delivered on the greatest and clutchest scale. Rodgers seemed to be more efficient with the ball, but Brady was forced to outperform anyone he played and elevated his team every time he took the field. Brady showed why he is still the king of the NFL, and to do what he’s doing at 44 is just ridiculous.
