How are the NFL MVP awards calculated?
The Most Valuable Player award (MVP) is the most distinguished honor that is available to any player during the NFL regular season as it highlights a star players immense contributions towards their teams overall success and that they are currently more important to their roster than any other player in the league.
With the 2024 NFL regular season now fully underway, fans have already been treated to a plethora of action-packed encounters featuring their favorite names and teams that compete in football’s most decorated league.
The early signs for this ongoing NFL season have already showcased plenty of surprising upsets and monumental highlight plays that have certainly kept the fans guessing over which teams are likely to earn a spot in this year’s postseason as the best two remaining teams from the AFC and NFC will soon ready themselves for the impending Superbowl LIX which is set to take place in New Orleans, Louisiana in February 2025.
Alongside the always unpredictable standings, stands the hotly contested league MVP race which always makes for an intriguing debate amongst every football fan who will pitch their own choices as to which players have been the standout names in the league this year.
According to the latest NFL MVP odds on DraftKings, former league and reigning Superbowl MVP Patrick Mahomes currently stands out as the outright favorite to win his third regular season award at +330 outrights, with fellow QBs Josh Allen and reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson still remaining hot on his heels at +600, alongside sophomore sensation C.J. Stroud at +750 and breakout rookie Jayden Daniels at +1000.
While every football fan will have their own unique opinions as to why their preferred choice of player should win the acclaimed award, there are several other factors that dictate which superstar talent should deservedly walk away with the award at the culmination of the lengthy 17-game regular season.
- How are players determined as candidates for the NFL MVP award?
Of course, with this award being performance based, many league executives will be quick to judge players on their individual stats and overall team success as this is always a key component to any major single player accolade.
The award itself is decided by the fifty voters from the Associated Press who are required to list their top five players in the league from the specified season, with more points being awarded for players depending on their final standings position from the voters.
This voting system is also carried out for other accolades such as the AP Offensive and Defensive player of the year award, Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, Assistant Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year.
The final voting for the winners in each category is concluded before the start of the playoffs and is officially announced on the NFL Honors broadcast which is always held on the final Thursday before the Super Bowl.
- Who are the top candidates for the 2024 MVP award?
As mentioned above, there are already a number of early candidates who could likely take home the coveted award thanks to their heroic efforts in the early stages of the season.
With the MVP being an award that is primarily dominated by the Quarterback position, it comes as no surprise that all the top candidates are QBs as they have helped spearhead their team’s offense to early postseason contention.
So far, the top performing QB’s in the early weeks of the NFL season have included Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens, Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans and Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders.
Allen remains the only QB in the league without a turnover, whether that being an interception or a fumble that was recovered by the defense, and has so far thrown for just shy of 950 yards with eight touchdowns and a QB rating of 77.5 which is the highest in the NFL.
Lamar Jackson is not far behind in the stat sheet as he has so far combined for 1,200 yards, nine touchdowns to one interception with a QBR of 67.1 despite the Ravens starting off the season with an 0-2 record.
C.J. Stroud has propelled the once hapless Houston Texans into firm playoff contention and continues to put up major numbers in just his sophomore season, while second overall pick Jayden Daniels has stormed onto the scene with the Washington Commanders and helped the club reach the top of the NFC East division despite the side entering into the new season without any major expectations for a potential playoff berth.
Besides QB’s the only other players who remain in contention for the MVP award include Pittsburgh Steelers standout edge rusher T.J. Watt who recently racked up his 100th sack of his career during a primetime showdown against the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings superstar WR Justin Jefferson and finally Houston Texans WR Nico Collins who currently leads the NFL with a 567 receiving yards on 32 receptions in just five weeks of action.