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The NFL MVP Award is a trophy presented to the most valuable player in the National Football League. This award is presented following the conclusion of the regular season, and it recognizes excellence throughout the season.
The 2023 NFL MVP Award will be presented before the year's Super Bowl game. The specific date is yet to be announced. However, we can take a hint from last year's festivities.
Last year's MVP Award was presented on February 10, 2022, four days before Super Bowl LVI. As such, this year's MVP Award might be presented any day before February 12, 2023, the Super Bowl LVII date.
This season has seen records broken, milestones toppled, and many players separating themselves from their peers. However, there can only be one NFL MVP award winner this season (because it's not 1997 or 2003, where it went to co-recipients). So without further ado, let's check rank the top five NFL MVP candidates for the season that just ended.
5. Justin Jefferson, Wide Receiver, Minnesota Vikings
There have been 57 undisputed winners of the NFL MVP award, and none of them have been wide receivers. Let that sink in. The league has had its fair share of elite wide receivers, but none have hoisted the prestigious title. However, for a brief period, Justin Jefferson looked like he would break that duck if only he had kept on with the elite performances.
Justin Jefferson had a stunning third season at the professional level, as he quieted all his doubters and got a couple of new fans. The former LSU Tiger flirted with Calvin Johnson's receiving yards record all season long, and made his third consecutive Pro Bowl start off his career. He has a total of 1,771 yards for the 2022 season, with an average of 14.3 per reception.
Johnson almost single-handedly took the Vikings into the postseason, and he will have a spectacular pro career if he keeps up at this pace.
4. Jalen Hurts, Quarterback, Philadelphia Eagles
The difference a year can make in the life of a professional athlete. The Philadelphia Eagles selected Jalen Hurts in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft as a safety blanket rather than their quarterback of the future.
However, the former Alabama Crimson Tide and Oklahoma State University alum put his head down and became the Eagles' starting QB in his second year. That was just the beginning.
This season Hurts has really come into his own, with the dual-threat QB shattering the mold and leading the Eagles to number one seed in the NFC Conference. This season has seen Hurts put up a stat line that is more Madden-like than real life.
The dual-threat QB has amassed 3,472 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, and five interceptions. He has also racked up 747 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns to pad the stat sheet.
3. Josh Allen, Quarterback, Buffalo Bills
The man with the cannon arm has been up to his usual elite shenanigans all season long, making the Bills a Super Bowl contender. Since entering the league, Josh Allen has steadily improved the Bills' offense. However, it's in the last three seasons that his NFL MVP case has been made.
Allen was an outsider for the award in the 2020 and 2021 Awards. Plus, you can expect his name to be mentioned for many years.
Allen has had a typically marvelous statistical season throwing to elite wide receivers, especially perennial Pro Bowler Stefon Diggs. He has amassed a stat line of 4,062 passing yards, 32 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions for the season.
2. Joe Burrow, Quarterback, Cincinnati Bengals
Smoking Joe Burrow is a hot shot, and the football world has known about this since his LSU days. He was the number one pick heading out of college, and one day, he'll receive the NFL MVP award.
Burrow has led the Bengals to improve seasons every year since joining the team, and this is his best yet. The young QB was a dark horse for last year's NFL MVP Award, and he's even closer to first place this year. He might have been a favorite, too, if not for a Texas Tech alum playing in Kansas.
Burrow has had a typically excellent statistical season, amassing elite stats. He is putting up a stat line of 4,312 passing yards, 35 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions for the season.
1. Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes, the man calling the shots for the most feared offense in the NFL, has nothing to prove. The Texas Tech alum is in his sixth season in the league, and could strut into the NFL Hall of Fame if he retires today.
Mahomes has proven doubters wrong for yet another season, as he proved that he doesn't need Tyreek Hill to post gaudy passing numbers for the season. Mahomes worked with a retooled roster to startling efficiency, which is why he's the current favorite to win his second NFL MVP Award. Just take a look at his numbers.
Mahomes just signed off on the 2022 - 2023 NFL season with 5,048 passing yards, 40 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He is leading the Kansas City Chiefs to yet another Super Bowl push as he looks to build on his already improbable legacy.
Who are the last 10 Recipients of the NFL MVP Award?
The NFL MVP Award has had some famous winners over the years. Here are the last ten players to lift the prestigious trophy.
1. 2021 - Aaron Rodgers, Quarterback, Green Bay Packers
2. 2020 - Aaron Rodgers, Quarterback, Green Bay Packers
3. 2019 - Lamar Jackson, Quarterback, Baltimore Ravens
4. 2018 - Patrick Mahomes, Quarterback, Kansas City Chiefs
5. 2017 - Tom Brady, Quarterback, New England Patriots
6. 2016 - Matt Ryan, Quarterback, Atlanta Falcons
7. 2015 - Cam Newton, Quarterback, Carolina Panthers
8. 2014 - Aaron Rodgers, Quarterback, Green Bay Packers
9. 2013 - Peyton Manning, Quarterback, Denver Broncos
10. 2012 - Adrian Peterson, Running Back, Minnesota Vikings
