Usually, by this time of year, the NFL MVP winner is already decided. Sure, they don’t officially announce the winner until the season is over, but it does become clear by December who’s taking home the award. Last year Lamar Jackson ran away with the award handily, the year before, Patrick Mahomes did the same.
However, this year feels different. The early-frontrunner, Russell Wilson, has fallen way behind in recent weeks thanks to a string of not-so-stellar games, and while there are a handful of players in serious contention, nobody is a clear and obvious winner… yet.. COVID-19, which has definitely affected the NFL season as a whole, has also made it difficult for players to get in a serious rhythm with different players out every week. So, will a quarterback take home the MVP award for another year? Or is it possible that another position snags the trophy? While anything is possible with about a month left in the season, here are the three players most likely going to win the 2020 MVP award.
Patrick Mahomes
Despite not being the favorite to win the MVP award earlier in the season, Mahomes has cemented himself as the clear front runner now. He’s thrown 31 touchdowns and just two interceptions, which is practically unheard of, and his team is 11-1.
However, while there’s no question Mahomes is a once-in-a-generation talent, a lot of doubters attribute his success to his incredible teammates, such as Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce. But, if Mahomes can keep up this pace for the rest of the season and get the Chiefs the number one seed in the AFC, I don’t see how voters could not give Mahomes his second MVP award.
Aaron Rodgers
While Mahomes has been great, Aaron Rodgers has been right there with him. Sure, his team is 9-3, which isn’t as good of a record as the Chiefs’, but one could argue the Green Bay Packers do not have the weapons that Kansas City has. Rodgers currently leads the league in touchdown passes with 36 and he has only thrown four interceptions.
His numbers are neck-in-neck with Mahomes’s, so in all honesty, it’s probably going to come down to the last few games of the season. If Rodgers can light up the scoreboard in his final regular-season games and Mahomes does the opposite, look for the 37-year-old to win his third MVP award.
Derrick Henry
There is no one in the NFL quite like Derrick Henry. He is a human wrecking ball who has destroyed defenses left and right this season. While he’s the clear and obvious best running back in the league, winning the MVP award is going to be a serious uphill battle.
Not only did he have a bad fumble in the Titan’s most recent game against the Cleveland Browns, but the last time a running back won the MVP award was in 2012, when it went to Adrian Peterson.. Is Henry in the conversation this year? Certainly. Does he have a good shot at winning? Not exactly.. Unless Mahomes and Rodgers completely fall off and Henry happens to rush for a crazy amount of yards to end the season, 2020 is probably not his year to be the MVP.