Jalen Hurts does many things for the Philadelphia Eagles offense. The quarterback is the captain of the most controversial new fourth-and-one strategy running the “Tush Push” or “Brotherly Shove.” Hurts is also a dynamic runner and an improving passer.
Looking at the NFL Most Valuable Player race will show that the quarterback on the team’s best teams usually earns the nod as the award winner. No non-quarterback has been named MVP since Adrian Peterson was chosen in 2012. Many of the top quarterbacks will win the award multiple times.
But with Aaron Rodgers out due to injury and Tom Brady retired, there is a new crop of quarterbacks capable of bringing home the hardware. Black sports news shows this year’s race may come down to Hurts and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Philly Special
Winning the MVP would be special on a few levels for both the franchise and Hurts. Philadelphia hasn’t had an MVP since Norm Van Brocklin brought home the award in 1960. Hurts, a +150 betting favorite to win the award, has slowly progressed coming into the league as an unpolished passer who some thought would never transition to the NFL game.
Hurts has made a career of handling adversity. In college, Hurt was the starting quarterback at Alabama in 2016 and led the Crimson Tide to an appearance in the National Championship game, where it lost to Clemson. The next year, Hurts was replaced by freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa in the next year’s championship game. After spending another year at Alabama, Hurts transferred to Oklahoma, where he finished second in Heisman Trophy voting.
Hurts doesn’t have spectacular numbers by MVP standards but has helped Philadelphia get off to a 10-1 start and become the first team to qualify for the playoffs. Hurt has thrown for 2,697 yards with 18 touchdowns. One area where Hurts could use some improvement is turnovers.
Hurts has thrown 18 interceptions this season. But turnovers may not have that negative of an impact, according to recent sports updates. The Eagles appeared in the Super Bowl last season and have the league’s top record this year. Successful teams typically rake in individual awards.
Barring a total collapse or an injury to Hurts, the Philadelphia quarterback will likely be the choice for MVP at the end of the year.
Mahomes is Doing Well With Less
Defending MVP Patrick Mahomes doesn’t have any big-name wide receivers. During a recent loss to the Eagles, a few drops by wide receivers cost Mahomes and the Chiefs an opportunity to score a big victory.
That has led to a frustratingly inconsistent offensive approach for Kansas City. While Mahomes is unlikely to get anywhere close to the 5,000 passing yards he finished with last season, Kansas City is in the mix to get the AFC’s top seed.
Mahomes, who is +350 to win the award, is seventh in the league with 2,917 passing yards. Recent sports updates show Mahomes has thrown 21 touchdown passes and nine interceptions. Kansas City should run away with the division title. However, the Chiefs struggling so hard to score will likely see Mahomes fall short of winning his third MVP award.
Cheetah Trying to Make Case for Non-QBs
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill is in pursuit of history. No wide receiver in NFL history has ever hit 2,000 yards receiving. While Hill still has some ground to make up in that category, Hill has once again been one of the league’s more dynamic pass catchers.
Hill leads the league in receiving with 1,324 yards for the AFC East-leading Dolphins. In addition, Hill has been able to make spectacular plays despite having extra attention from opposing defenses. Unless Hill gets to 2,000 yards or Miami closes the season with a solid winning streak, he is a long shot to win MVP.
Hill sits at +5000 in the betting odds. What also may hurt Hills’ candidacy has been the play of his quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa will likely finish near the top of the leaderboard in passing, which could pull some votes away from Hill.
Jackson Has Sights Set on Big Things
The Baltimore Ravens recognized they needed a change after last season. The Ravens’ offense saw a new offensive coordinator come in to work with star quarterback Lamar Jackson. What has come out of that new marriage is a more efficient Jackson.
Jackson has the highest completion percentage of his career at 68.3 percent. One thing that may hold Jackson back is that his stats aren’t eye-popping otherwise. Jackson has only thrown for 13 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also has thrown for 2,618 yards.
Jackson, who won MVP in 2019, will be bolstered by the Ravens having the AFC’s top record. Jackson has also rushed for 574 yards and caught five touchdown passes. Jackson is +400 to win the MVP.
McCaffrey is Another Longshot to Win
There aren’t too many scenarios where San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, who is +3000, wins MVP. Make no mistake, the 49ers acquired McCaffrey in a trade in the middle of last season, and it was one of the all-time steals in NFL history. So far this season, McCaffrey has piled up 939 rushing yards and had four games where he rushed for 100 yards or more.
The 49ers will have a big matchup with the Eagles this weekend that could determine which team gets the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. McCaffrey has been effective at finding the end zone for San Francisco this season. McCaffrey has scored at least one touchdown in 10 of the 49ers’ 11 games this season.
While running back isn’t a position that usually wins MVP nowadays, McCaffrey’s versatility gives him a legitimate argument. San Francisco is one of the NFC’s top teams with a fair opportunity to win a conference title. The question for McCaffrey will be if he can put up enough yards and touchdown to steal the thunder away from the top contenders.
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