University of Kwazulu-Natal

The Nfl Mvp Race It S A Qb Exclusive Award Rb Jonathan Taylor Msn

Bonisiwe Shabane
-
the nfl mvp race it s a qb exclusive award rb jonathan taylor msn

Jonathan Taylor has firmly placed himself at the center of the NFL MVP discussion, and at this point in the season, his production has not only separated him from his peers, but it’s placed... Running backs rarely win Most Valuable Player in today’s league. The last was Adrian Peterson in 2012, and before that it was LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006 and Shaun Alexander in 2005 after both had record-breaking seasons for rushing touchdowns. Since then, it’s been nothing but an award for quarterbacks. Even when running backs win other awards like Offensive Player of the year, which Christian McCaffrey won in 2023, they still miss out on the MVP trophy. It feels like to be viewed as a serious contender for the award in the current landscape, you have to deliver a season that wasn’t just great, but undeniably dominant.

And so far, that’s exactly what Taylor has been doing for the Indianapolis Colts. Through 10 games, Taylor leads the NFL with 1,139 yards rushing. That’s over 200 yards more than the next-closest player, Bills’ star James Cook. He also leads the league with 15 rushing touchdowns, five more than Green Bay’s Josh Jacobs. Those numbers alone are good enough to strengthen any MVP case, but they only scratch the surface of his impact. Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks knows the ins and outs of this league, providing keen insight in his notebook.

Today's installment takes a midseason look at a wide-open MVP race ... The NFL's Most Valuable Player award is unquestionably the most prestigious individual honor a player can receive each season. In theory, the award should go to the player who has made the most significant impact on his team. These days, though, AP voters typically hand the hardware to the quarterback with the most impressive stats or the QB1 on the team with the most wins. Admittedly, quarterbacks do have outsized influence on game outcomes. That said, plenty of players at other positions lift teams with stellar play.

From dynamic runners churning out 100-yard games to pass rushers routinely producing splash plays, the NFL features a diverse collection of difference-makers who deserve recognition. So, while this year's MVP is likely to go to another quarterback -- as it has in each of the past 12 seasons -- this particular midseason hierarchy is about identifying a broader group... As a result, you will not see luminaries like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson on the list, due to their team's disappointing midseason records (and Jackson's injury absence). Additionally, Josh Allen did not make the cut despite Buffalo's status as an AFC heavyweight with a 6-2 record. While there is plenty of time for the reigning MVP to rejoin the conversation, the guys spotlighted below have provided more individual brilliance to this point. Now, to be clear, this rundown isn't anti-quarterback.

The game's most important position still claims more than half the slots in this pecking order. But I wanted to think outside the box and reward some standouts who don't line up behind center. Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass to tight end Colby Parkinson during the second half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Santa... 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn) Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) scores a touchdown during overtime in an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Nov.

9, 2025, in Berlin, Germany. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner) Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Anthony Nelson (98) pressures New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara) Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws as he is pressured by Arizona Cardinals defensive end Darius Robinson during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov.

9, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson) New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll reacts after an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) INDIANAPOLIS – “Jonathan Taylor is the ‘Most Valuable Player’ right now in the NFL.

We just don’t want to acknowledge it.” “It’s tough to wrap your arms around (the idea) that the MVP of the National Football League is a running back, but guess what, everybody? It’s time to wrap your heads around the idea that we’re seeing it happen.” Before the season, it would have been very difficult to predict our NFL midseason award winners. Now that we're at the 2025 season's midway point, we surveyed our NFL reporters to get their picks for each of the league's major awards. The MVP race seems to be as compelling as ever without a clear favorite, while both Rookie of the Year awards are up for grabs, only adding to the intrigue.

So, let's take a look at our staff's picks for each of the major NFL awards halfway through the season. Ben Arthur: Drake Maye has been the NFL’s most consistently dominant and efficient quarterback this season. And quite frankly, it’s not even close. In Sunday’s win over the Atlanta Falcons, the former UNC star recorded at least 200 passing yards and a 100-plus passer rating for the eighth straight game. He's just the fourth quarterback in league history to accomplish that feat in a single season, according to Next Gen Stats. It so happens that the other passers to achieve the milestone — Peyton Manning (2004), Tom Brady (2007) and Aaron Rodgers (2011,2020) — all won MVP that season.

We have completed Week 9, which puts us at the halfway point of the season. As we get deeper into the season, the MVP picture begins to get clear. This is our Week 10 MVP watch. After beating Patrick Mahomes head-to-head in Week 9, Allen currently takes the spot for the time being. The issue he's going to run into when it comes time to pick an MVP is that he'll have to go above and beyond to win a second in a row. It was clear that he didn't deserve the MVP last season, but the voters didn't want to give it to a deserving Lamar Jackson again.

It's not likely Allen will outdo his 2024 performance, and if the Patriots can hold on to the division lead, it would do major damage to his MVP campaign. So far this season, he is the fantasy QB4 overall. Mahomes was at the top of the MVP ladder last week, but drops to the No. 2 spot after losing to Allen in a bit of a down game. He is still our favorite to eventually win the MVP this season, but he has fallen behind Allen for the time being. It's been since 2022, since Mahomes has won an MVP.

If he digs the Chiefs out of their early-season hole and carries them back to a division title, while piling up big points, he should be an MVP favorite. Heading into Week 10, Mahomes is the fantasy QB1 overall. Drake Maye should be the MVP Favorite pic.twitter.com/f4c4AbGITV The second-year quarterback has exploded onto the scene this season, and currently has the New England Patriots in first place in the AFC East. He has already knocked off Josh Allen in their head-to-head matchup this season, and has been doing it while piling up major numbers. Currently, he is the QB3 overall.

There is a chance that he could continue to improve and ascend as we get deeper into the season. The NFL MVP race is often somewhat anti-climactic, with two or three quarterbacks dominating the race for the entire season, until one of them has a great game in a big spot in December... Sometimes, like in 2023 (Lamar Jackson), there aren't really any true no-doubt candidates, so the player with good numbers on the best team wins it almost by default. In 2025, however, the MVP race has been anything but boring, just like this weird season as a whole. It has had many twists and turns, with a new leader seemingly every week. Just like how the league has lacked a juggernaut all year, there haven't been any clear MVP leaders through 10 weeks.

In Week 10, three guys made their case to be atop the pack, and it might not be who you think. After spending weeks flirting with the MVP conversation amid a winning streak that has now reached seven games, Drake Maye might have officially stamped himself as the leader with another outstanding performance in New... Maye emphatically outplayed fellow MVP candidate Baker Mayfield, pushing him further down the list while the UNC product shot up the race. Maye is third in passing yards, third in passing TDs, and fifth in both QBR and passer rating this season. He's the most efficient deep ball thrower in the league despite mediocre weapons and a bad offensive line. Drake has led this Patriots' offense to top-ten levels of production, and he's done it without a running game or great playmakers on the outside.

With Week 9 underway in the NFL, one of the most polarizing questions around the league is can the Indianapolis Colts’ Jonathan Taylor win the MVP award? The last time a running back won MVP was in 2012 when Adrian Peterson took home the hardware. Before him, LaDanian Tomlinson in 2006, Shaun Alexander in 2005, and Marshall Faulk in 2000. Other than those four, we’ve seen 22 quarterbacks win the award since 2000, including 12 straight! If you look at this year’s odds, 14 of the top 15 players are quarterbacks, so you can guess who’s the outlier. Can a running back take down the field and win MVP?

Here’s my take on it! Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & team props for every matchup this week on the NFL schedule! All MVP odds are courtesy of DraftKings. One of my favorite memories as a kid watching the NFL was LaDanian Tomlinson’s MVP season. It was capped off by being lifted up and swarmed by teammates after breaking the NFL single season rushing touchdown record with 28 and total touchdowns at 31 against the Broncos. As a Jonathan Taylor fantasy manager and fan of football — wouldn’t it be sweet to see JT break LT’s record?

Because that’s likely what Taylor needs to do to win MVP. When you think of dominant starts for running backs across football, surely Saquon Barkley‘s start to last year comes to mind, a few Adrian Peterson seasons, including the MVP year, maybe you even go...

People Also Search

Jonathan Taylor Has Firmly Placed Himself At The Center Of

Jonathan Taylor has firmly placed himself at the center of the NFL MVP discussion, and at this point in the season, his production has not only separated him from his peers, but it’s placed... Running backs rarely win Most Valuable Player in today’s league. The last was Adrian Peterson in 2012, and before that it was LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006 and Shaun Alexander in 2005 after both had record-bre...

And So Far, That’s Exactly What Taylor Has Been Doing

And so far, that’s exactly what Taylor has been doing for the Indianapolis Colts. Through 10 games, Taylor leads the NFL with 1,139 yards rushing. That’s over 200 yards more than the next-closest player, Bills’ star James Cook. He also leads the league with 15 rushing touchdowns, five more than Green Bay’s Josh Jacobs. Those numbers alone are good enough to strengthen any MVP case, but they only s...

Today's Installment Takes A Midseason Look At A Wide-open MVP

Today's installment takes a midseason look at a wide-open MVP race ... The NFL's Most Valuable Player award is unquestionably the most prestigious individual honor a player can receive each season. In theory, the award should go to the player who has made the most significant impact on his team. These days, though, AP voters typically hand the hardware to the quarterback with the most impressive s...

From Dynamic Runners Churning Out 100-yard Games To Pass Rushers

From dynamic runners churning out 100-yard games to pass rushers routinely producing splash plays, the NFL features a diverse collection of difference-makers who deserve recognition. So, while this year's MVP is likely to go to another quarterback -- as it has in each of the past 12 seasons -- this particular midseason hierarchy is about identifying a broader group... As a result, you will not see...

The Game's Most Important Position Still Claims More Than Half

The game's most important position still claims more than half the slots in this pecking order. But I wanted to think outside the box and reward some standouts who don't line up behind center. Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass to tight end Colby Parkinson during the second half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in San...