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Why Nfl Mvp Doesn T Just Have To Be A Qb Award Yahoo Sports

Bonisiwe Shabane
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why nfl mvp doesn t just have to be a qb award yahoo sports

Mike Florio and Devin McCourty take a look at the odds, provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, for NFL MVP and examine why although Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford are atop the list, Jonathan Taylor has... Mike Florio and Devin McCourty take a look at the odds, provided by DraftKings Sportsbook, for NFL MVP and examine why although Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford are atop the list, Jonathan Taylor has... #NBCSports #NFL #ProFootballTalk » Subscribe to NFL on NBC: https://www.youtube.com/NFLonNBC?sub_confirmation=1 » Watch Pro Football Talk live on Peacock weekdays 7a-9a: https://peacocktv.smart.link/v82e9dl56 » Get the latest from Pro Football Talk: https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/ NBC Sports Group serves... NBC Sports is an established leader in the sports media landscape with an unparalleled collection... © 2025 BVM Sports. Best Version Media, LLC.

Time crunch?Get all your NFL news here in just 60 words This year’s MVP award is causing some mounting annoyance as the NFL regular season comes to a close. The Most Valuable Player in the NFL’s Regular Season is decided by a panel of 50 sports writers each year. This honor has traditionally gone to NFL quarterbacks. Over the course of history, there have been exceptions. For instance, most fans will likely recall defensive tackle Alan Page winning it in and running back Adrian Peterson of the Vikings winning it in 2012.

In the league’s history, he was the only defensive tackle to receive the honor. If a quarterback doesn’t take home the prize, it usually means that another player dominated that season. The 2022 season is brought up by that idea. Also Read: Chargers’ 6-Year-Streak of “No Arrests” Finally Breaks As Cornerback J.C Jackson Gets Booked Over Family Issues While Drake Maye, Matthew Stafford and Jonathan Taylor have dominated league MVP discussions, former Saints Super Bowl-winner and soon-to-be Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees mentioned another player who certainly deserves consideration,... "There's a lot of guys that are playing some outstanding football," Brees said during a one-on-one interview with CBS Sports.

"Drake Maye, he's made huge leaps from last year. ... Stafford is playing outstanding. "I look at what the Seattle Seahawks are doing right now. You know, if [Jaxon Smith-Njigba] isn't an MVP candidate, he's certainly Offensive Player of the Year, right? I think those are some good names."

Now in his third season in Seattle, Smith-Njigba is enjoying a breakout season for the Seahawks, who are off to a surprising 7-2 start under second-year coach Mike Macdonald. Smith-Njigba is currently leading the NFL with 1,041 receiving yards and is on pace to break Calvin Johnson's single-season record of 1,964. While he is certainly deserving of consideration, Smith-Njigba doesn't have history on his side as far as winning league MVP. No receiver in league history has won the award, including Jerry Rice, who didn't win following the strike-shortened 1987 season despite catching 22 touchdowns in just 12 games. The award instead went to then-Broncos quarterback John Elway. 21 November 2022Key Monday NFL, Sports Entertainment

The National Football League’s Most Valuable Player (NFL MVP award) is arguably one of the most prestigious individual honors in professional sports. Every year, players across all positions vie for this accolade, hoping to cement their legacy as the game’s top performer. But is the NFL MVP truly a reflection of the most valuable player across all positions? Or has it morphed into something more specific — a quarterback award in disguise? Welcome to an in-depth exploration of this controversial topic, inspired by the sharp insights of VDG Sports’ Vince Douglas Gregory. As a seasoned observer of the gridiron, Vince doesn’t just call it like he sees it — he calls the NFL MVP award out for what it really is.

In this article, we’ll dive deep into the domination of quarterbacks in the MVP race since the turn of the millennium, the implications of this trend on the fairness of the award, and what... Let’s start with the cold, hard facts. Since the year 2000, the NFL MVP award has been dominated by quarterbacks almost without exception. Out of all the seasons in the past two decades, only four times has the award gone to a player who wasn’t a quarterback. That’s right — just four times in over 20 years. And who were those rare non-quarterback winners?

Running backs. Specifically, running backs who were extraordinary talents, often considered generational players. The most recent running back to claim the MVP was Adrian Peterson in 2012, nearly a decade ago. Before that, other running backs had managed to break through, but these cases have become increasingly rare. Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz, Jori Epstein and Charles Robinson discuss the race for the NFL MVP this season and if standout, non-quarterback players like Christian McCaffrey and Tyreek Hill have a chance to win. Hear the full conversation on “Inside Coverage” - part of the “Zero Blitz” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.

JASON FITZ: You both have an MVP vote. So I want to stress this. There's a difference between talking heads screaming about MVP and having people that actually vote on it talk about the MVP. So this is one of the weirder years. And obviously, it's been a big conversation. So Jori, I'll start with you.

Not even with where you are on this because Purdy is the favorite right now according to BetMGM. Lamar's second. CMC, Dak, third. In your mind, how much of an emphasis is put on the quarterback position specifically for the MVP conversation? JORI EPSTEIN: Yeah, it's something I've thought a lot about especially this week. And I know we'll get to this audio, but I talked to 49ers tight end George Kittle this week about the sort of Purdy versus Christian McCaffrey.

And he was making this case that when you consider guys like Christian McCaffrey and Tyreek Hill-- and again, it's been a decade since we've had a non-quarterback win this award. That when you consider guys like that, well, they are making defensive coordinators change the way they play the game. And so if you have someone needing to change the game plan against you, then that is of extreme value-- this mismatch piece, this chess piece that they're doing. The NFL MVP award has become synonymous with one position — quarterback. Over the last two decades, only three non-quarterbacks have claimed the title, and the last to do so was running back Adrian Peterson in 2012. Since then, 12 straight MVP trophies have gone to quarterbacks, reflecting the league’s transformation into a pass-heavy, offense-driven spectacle.

Peterson’s MVP run remains one of the most remarkable single-season performances in modern NFL history. Coming off a torn ACL, the Minnesota Vikings running back rushed for 2,097 yards — just eight shy of breaking Eric Dickerson’s all-time record. His dominance not only carried Minnesota to the playoffs but also marked the last time a running back, or any non-quarterback, earned MVP honors. The NFL has evolved dramatically since the early 2000s. Rule changes designed to protect quarterbacks and receivers have amplified passing attacks, while analytics have further prioritized the efficiency of throwing the football over running it. Offensive schemes now revolve around elite signal-callers who command record-breaking contracts and headline highlight reels every Sunday.

Running backs, wide receivers, and defenders still produce elite seasons — but the MVP award typically rewards overall team success and positional impact. Since quarterbacks directly influence the game’s most important statistic — scoring — they have an outsized advantage. For a non-QB to break through, it would likely take a historic, record-shattering campaign similar to Peterson’s in 2012 or even more dominant. While unlikely, the possibility isn’t zero. Players like Christian McCaffrey, Tyreek Hill, and Micah Parsons have shown they can take over games in unique ways. However, with the continued rise of high-powered offenses and superstar quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson, the MVP remains — for now — a quarterback’s award.

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