Which NFL player has won most MVP awards?

The 2021 NFL MVP award officially went to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers at last night's NFL Honors. That marks his fourth time being named league MVP as fans wait to see if he will make a return in 2022.

Four awards for the most valuable player is a lot and some fans may believe that it's a record. But there is one player who has more MVP awards than the Packers' quarterback.

NFL player who has won the most MVP awards

Washington Football Team v Denver Broncos

Rodgers currently sits in second place all-time with his four MVP awards. But Peyton Manning stands alone with the five he won during his legendary NFL career.

Manning won five MVP awards, all from 2003-2013, in what was a truly remarkable run of success. Tom Brady won two during that span and Rodgers claimed his first as well.

The first four MVP awards for Manning came during his time with the Indianapolis Colts. He won his first in 2003 and then won it again in 2004.

In keeping with that theme, he won his next two in 2008 and 2009.

Manning was not named MVP when the Colts won the Super Bowl during the 2006 season. The award went to LaDainian Tomlinson that season.

His fifth and final award came during the 2013 season with the Denver Broncos. That was the year the Broncos were stomped in Super Bowl XLVIII by the Seattle Seahawks by a final score of 43-8.

Rodgers may try to copy Manning's blueprint in 2022 by joining a new team and seeking out a fifth MVP award. That would set them both apart as two true legends of the game, not that anyone needs further proof for either player.

Next on the list after Rodgers for the most MVP awards is a tie between Brady, Brett Favre, Jim Brown and Johnny Unitas with three MVPs apiece.

All of those players are NFL legends, showing just how remarkable it is that Manning was named the top player in the league five separate times.

The debate about the greatest player of all-time has mostly settled with Brady at the top. But he is still two MVPs behind Manning.

So what makes his case stronger? That would be the fact Brady has won seven Super Bowls throughout his career. Manning and Rodgers have combined for three even with their combined nine MVP awards.

The MVP is a regular season award, with no playoff performance taken into account. That too affects one's legacy. Kurt Warner was the last MVP winner to go on to win the Super Bowl back in 1999.

Yet winning even one Super Bowl puts a quarterback into the realm of immortality. Manning won two Super Bowls and his five MVP awards place him on a pedestal next to Brady as an all-time great.

If Rodgers can catch him, the conversation only gets more interesting.