With half of the NFL season already in the books, we already have a clear picture of the teams that will be competing for the Vince Lombardi trophy. Of course, a lot of things — both good and bad — can still happen, but we already have a big sample size to make some conclusions.
As it usually happens, the MVP race has been quite volatile. But over the past month or so, three guys have stood out from the rest of the pack. Unsurprisingly, all three are quarterbacks, as this has been a QB-driven award more often than not.
We could argue that guys like Cleveland Browns‘ DE Myles Garrett or Miami Dolphins’ WR Tyreek Hill deserve some serious consideration to win the MVP award this season, but that’s a debate for another day.
With that in mind, we’ll break down the top three MVP candidates through 10 weeks, making a case for all of them but also explaining why they might not be the right call so you guys can make your own decision at home.
Lamar Jackson – Baltimore Ravens – NFL 2022
NFL MVP 2023 Top 3 Candidates
3. Lamar Jackson (+375)
The Baltimore Ravens gave Lamar Jackson the contract he was looking for. On top of that, they gave him a new offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, who vowed to give him more freedom to make adjustments at the line of scrimmage and call his own plays.
On top of that, the Ravens gave him two prime weapons in Odell Beckham Jr. and rookie WR Zay Flowers. He’s got the best receiving corps he’s ever had, and he’s made the most of it by leading the team to a 7-3 record.
To date, Jackson has completed 70% of his throws for 2,177 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s also rushed 92 times for 481 yards and an additional 5 scores. However, he does have ten turnovers (5 picks and 5 fumbles lost), and he’s blown three late-game leads this season.
2. Jalen Hurts (+300)
The Philadelphia Eagles continue to be the biggest powerhouse in the league this season. They’ve only lost one game, and Jalen Hurts’ connection with A.J. Brown ranks among the best in the league.
Hurts got off to a slow start to the season, drawing some criticism because he just had signed his big contract. He picked things up later, and he’s completed almost 69% of his passes for 2,347 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 8 picks.
On top of that, Hurts has rushed 88 times for 316 yards and 7 rushing touchdowns. Even so, as impressive as his numbers are, he has to give Brown a lot of credit, not to mention the fact that his defense has also done a lot of heavy lifting.
1. Patrick Mahomes (+300)
Patrick Mahomes sits on a tier of his own when talking about the best quarterbacks in the game. He’s the undisputed No. 1, and that’s going to be the case until proven otherwise.
The reigning Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs don’t have any talent on the receiving corps outside of Travis Kelce, yet he’s still been able to lead them to a 7-2 record, spreading the wealth among his many unproven pass-catchers.
After nine games, the two-time Super Bowl MVP has completed 68.6% of his passes, throwing for 2,442 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. He’s also rushed 42 times for 258 yards. The issue with him is that he’s turning the ball over at a career-worst rate, and that’s becoming a concerning trend.
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