A new leader emerged in debates about who will be this season’s NFL MVP as Week 15 came to a close.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who was last season’s Mr. Irrelevant, now has the best odds to win the award for the league’s best player after beating the Cardinals 45-29 on Sunday, according to CBS Sports.
But Purdy thinks one of his teammates is more deserving of the honor.
“I think Christian should be the MVP,” he said Sunday, per a video from KNBR. “I really do believe that. He does everything for us — runs the ball well, can catch the ball. He does everything, so in my eyes that’s an MVP. You know, I’m the guy that hands him the ball off and then turns back and watches what he does.”
Which players have the best odds to win NFL MVP?
The following players have the best odds to win MVP this season, according to CBS Sports:
- Brock Purdy: -225.
- Dak Prescott: +500.
- Lamar Jackson: +500.
- Christian McCaffrey: +1000.
- Josh Allen: +1100.
Why Brock Purdy could win MVP
Purdy leads the league in passer rating (76) and passing touchdowns (29), per ESPN. He also has history and his position on his side.
San Francisco will likely finish the season with the No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the NFC, and 11 of the past 14 MVPs have been the quarterback of a No. 1 seed and two were from the No. 2 seed, Yahoo! Sports reported.
Still, Purdy has detractors. Former quarterback Cam Newton think Purdy is undeserving of MVP honors because he is a “game manager” and isn’t the reason the 49ers are winning, according to All 49ers.
Why Dak Prescott could win MVP
The Cowboys’ Dak Prescott had been the favorite to win MVP ahead of Week 15, when the Buffalo Bills beat the Cowboys 31-10.
Prior to the loss, Bills Wire’s Nick Wojton wrote that “Over his last eight games, Prescott is averaging 305.5 yards/ game with 23 touchdowns and just two interceptions — the Cowboys are 7-1 in that span. Prescott is the MVP of the league at this very moment — it would be a challenge to argue that.”
Why Lamar Jackson could win MVP
Like Purdy, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is quarterbacking a No. 1 seed. The Ravens are the only team in the AFC to clinch a playoff spot as of Tuesday, Dec. 19.
But statistics — especially when compared to his 2019 MVP-winning season — are not in Jackson’s favor. Jackson only ranks in the top 10 in three categories this season: quarterback rating (eighth), passer rating (eighth) and completion percentage (tenth), according to ESPN.
Jackson’s case for winning his second MVP award hinges on the hypothetical question of “How good would the Ravens be without him?” according to Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report.
“We’ve seen what happens when the Ravens lose Jackson — a Super Bowl front-runner becomes something between a fringe contender and an also-ran,” he writes.
Jackson and Purdy will have a chance to prove why they’re the superior No. 1 seed quarterback during their Christmas Day matchup.
Why Christian McCaffrey could win MVP
Unlike his teammate, McCaffrey doesn’t have history on his side in this year’s MVP race. Adrian Peterson was the last running back to win MVP and that was in 2012, according to CBS Sports.
But if he accomplishes a historic feat this season, his odds could improve. The running back has led the league in rushing yards each week of the season and could be the first player in almost 30 years to do so for a full season if he continues his streak for three more weeks, per CBS Sports.
McCaffrey has 1,292 rushing yards (the most in the NFL) and 13 touchdowns on 244 carries, per ESPN.
Why Josh Allen could win MVP
The Bills’ Josh Allen is the biggest long shot among the four quarterbacks with the best odds to win MVP. But there’s hope for Allen if the Bills can steal the AFC East from the Miami Dolphins.
Buffalo trails Miami by two games but has an easier slate of upcoming opponents. Before the two teams play each other in the final week of the regular season, the Dolphins face the Cowboys and the Ravens, and the Bills get the Los Angeles Chargers and New England Patriots, teams that have been eliminated from playoff contention.
If Allen could score eight more touchdowns on the ground or through the air, that would bring up his total for the season to 45, which could also help his case, according to Yahoo! Sports.