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It's been one bizarre MVP battle thus far this season. Every week, it seems the front-runner falls and chaos ensues. Jalen Hurts started emerging as Vegas's predicted winner for the award, but there should be plenty of candidates in other positions. Adrian Peterson's all-time 2012 season was the last time the award went to a non-QB. It's high time that changes.
There are generally three players that are receiving the buzz for the honor that do not play under-center. Christian McCaffrey, Tyreek Hill, and Myles Garrett have all made their cases worthy of the award, and surely the award will head to one of them. All three of the teams these players represent are currently in the playoffs. The San Francisco 49ers and Miami Dolphins are leading their division, and the Cleveland Browns are only one game off Baltimore.
Tyreek Hill had yet another 100+ yards in the Dolphins' recent week against the Raiders in Miami. His 1,222 yards in 10 games is the quickest a player has made that milestone since the Super Bowl era was formed. Hill now has six games where he has put over 100 yards and is easily the league's best receiver this season.
Christian McCaffrey has been nothing short of a sensation since the 49ers moved for him last year. CMC has 14 touchdowns this season, shared between the ground and the air. His 1,189 all-purpose yards are one of the best joint outpoints any running back has had through the first 10 games in recent memory. McCaffrey has a good chance at a 2,500+ yard season and the Most Valuable Player award.
As far as defensive candidates for MVP, there is only one possible option. And that, of course, is the Browns' Myles Garrett. Lawrence Taylor won the Most Valuable Player award in 1986; it's high time for that to change. Garrett has 13 sacks this season and is the leader of one of the league's meanest defenses. The Browns have seven wins, despite several QB injuries, which will help Garrett's Case.
If a quarterback wins the MVP award yet again this season, there may be no hope for the award.
Who are the frontrunners for the 2023 NFL MVP?
You will not be shocked to find out that Vegasinsider has 10 quarterbacks ranked higher in their MVP odds than Christian McCaffrey in 11th, who represents the rest of the pack. Jalen Hurts, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes ran up the top-three favorites. Mahomes is the current reigning Most Valuable Player and a two-time holder of the award. Lamar Jackson has also won the award once.
It's quite frankly disrespectful to the other players in the league that they are brushed aside for a quarterback for MVP awards. Sure, DPOTY and OPOTY awards are nice, but MVP is the holy grail, and too many good players have missed out on the award.
Cooper Kupp, who had arguably the greatest WR season of all time, was snubbed for Aaron Rodgers who won his fourth award in 2021. Jerry Rice picked up 22 touchdowns in 12 games because of the strike in 1987, yet the award ended up with the Denver Broncos John Elway.
We have to see what will happen, but the MVP voters have a lot of pressure on them this year.
