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The 2022 NFL regular season has come to a close, and only 14 teams remain to compete for Super Bowl LVII. Whether it was Patrick Mahomes excelling with less, Joe Burrow looking as cool as ever or Justin Jefferson breaking all types of Vikings receiving records, the league again delivered with historic performances from some of its most dynamic players.<\/p>\n
Throughout the season, we\u2019ve challenged our NFL staffers to pick their Most Valuable Player. It\u2019s not who we think the MVP will<\/i> be, but who we believe the MVP should<\/i> be.<\/p>\n
With the playoffs set to begin this weekend, these are the players who have best positioned themselves to earn this season\u2019s prestigious award. But only one will ultimately take home the hardware.<\/p>\n
\u2014 This year he did more with less after the Chiefs traded Tyreek Hill and went with a collection of secondary receivers rather than a legit No. 1. Mahomes had injuries at receiver and running back but again led the Chiefs to the top seed in the AFC. \u2014 Mike Jones, national NFL writer<\/i><\/p>\n
\u2014 We\u2019ve become numb to his brilliance. Another No. 1 seed. Another dominant season. He has a case almost every year to win the award, and it might be unfair to him that the bar has been set so high by his past performances. \u2014 Matt Schneidman, Packers beat writer<\/i><\/p>\n
\u2014 He passes the eye test with his special play each week. And he also has the numbers. Mahomes finished the regular season leading the NFL in passing yards (5,250), passing touchdowns (41), first downs (272) and plays of 20-plus yards (73;\u00a0 no one else had more than 57). He also had a career-high four rushing touchdowns. \u2014 Dane Brugler, senior NFL Draft analyst<\/i><\/p>\n
\u2014 No need to overthink it. He\u2019s the best player in the NFL \u2014 still \u2014 and just delivered another incredible season despite the Chiefs trading away his best receiver. The award is his. \u2014 Jimmy Durkin, senior NFL editor<\/i><\/p>\n
\u2014 It\u2019s pretty simple. His team led the league in points. His team led the league in yards. His team led the league in wins. By any important measure, he was the best player in football. \u2014 Jim Ayello, senior NFL editor<\/i><\/p>\n “That fear puts that speed into me, bro.”<\/p>\n Fastest QB in the league: @PatrickMahomes<\/a> when he’s being chased. (via @NFLFilms<\/a>, @InsideTheNFL<\/a>) pic.twitter.com\/Vjp7Hbzn5i<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NFL (@NFL) December 27, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u2014 Is this the quietest MVP season of all time? In his final four games, Mahomes threw eight touchdowns and no picks. He\u2019s still the guy to beat, even if it seems like no one is talking about him. Oh, and he did this all without Tyreek Hill. \u2014 Kevin Fishbain, Bears beat writer<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 Mahomes is the best player in the NFL, and no NFL player is more valuable to his team than Mahomes. Other than that, he doesn\u2019t have much of a case. \u2014 Joe Rexrode, Nashville columnist<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 The NFL\u2019s one true unicorn and the QB all the young QBs want to be like. Nobody else in the league controls chaos the way Andy Reid\u2019s superstar does. Still the best of the best. \u2014 Nick Baumgardner, NFL writer<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 The Chiefs quarterback should get this award based on the execution of the \u201cArctic Circle\u201d play alone. \u2014 Nick Kosmider, Broncos beat writer<\/i><\/p>\n ICMYI \u2026 Andy Reid and the @Chiefs<\/a> are just having fun \ud83d\ude04<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcfa: #KCvsLV<\/a> on ESPN\/ABC \u2014 NFL (@NFL) January 8, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u2014 He\u2019s like LeBron James. Basically every season, he\u2019s good enough to win MVP. Whether he actually does depends on that year\u2019s competition and voter fatigue as much as Mahomes\u2019 own play. This year, there\u2019s no obvious choice to overtake him, and it\u2019s somehow been four years since he last won. And oh, by the way, Mahomes had one of his best seasons \u2014 including eye-popping efficiency on third downs and against the blitz \u2014 without Tyreek Hill. \u2014 David DeChant, senior NFL editor<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 His stats alone make him worthy of the honor, but much like Stephen Curry, he does it in a way that we\u2019ve never seen before. \u2014 Jon Machota, Cowboys beat writer<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 I know he missed two games with a shoulder injury, but, if anything, that should boost his case as being this season\u2019s MVP. The Eagles lost both of those games without him and were on the verge of squandering the top seed in the NFC. Then Hurts returned, even if not at 100 percent, and they got back to their winning ways. He\u2019s 14-1 as a starter, has 35 total touchdowns (22 passing, 13 rushing) against just six interceptions and is the team\u2019s bona fide leader. \u2014 Josiah Turner, senior NFL editor<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 His ascension this season makes for a great story, but it\u2019s also a perfect example of the ideal execution as a dual-threat quarterback. Hurts grew by leaps and bounds as a passer this year, but the utilization of his mobility in the red zone, in particular, set Philadelphia and Hurts apart from the rest. \u2014 Paul Dehner Jr., Bengals beat writer<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 The engine of arguably the NFL\u2019s top team, Hurts has done a little of everything for the Eagles. Most impressive is how he\u2019s limited his mistakes. \u2014 Jeff Zrebiec, Ravens beat writer<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 His two-game absence underscored his importance to the Eagles offense and struck down the notion of him being the byproduct of the offensive system rather than the reverse. If this award in your mind is about telling the story of which player\u2019s star grew brightest over the course of the season, Hurts is a fine choice. \u2014 Bo Wulf, Eagles beat writer<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 He\u2019s not a system quarterback, he is the Eagles\u2019 system. His absence proved that. \u2014 Adam Jahns, Bears beat writer\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 If he\u2019d stayed healthy all the way through the regular season and the Eagles had finished 16-1, I\u2019m not sure how much of a conversation we\u2019d even need to have. But Hurts elevated his game to an entirely new level this year, and his team went right along for the ride. \u2014 Chris Burke, NFL staff editor<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 He is the driving force behind an Eagles offense that is a nightmare for defenses to game plan for. He is one of the rare few who can truly beat you with his arm or his legs. \u2014 Ayello<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 Patrick Mahomes is the best player in the league but Hurts has been the most valuable, leading a surprising Eagles team to the No. 1 seed in the NFC. \u2014 Vic Tafur, Raiders beat writer<\/i><\/p>\n 68 big ones#PHIvsCHI<\/a> | #FlyEaglesFly<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/N2YUdm6fFm<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 18, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u2014 Burrow was recently asked about the Bengals\u2019 Super Bowl window. His response? \u201cThe window\u2019s my whole career.\u201d You can say that when you\u2019re an elite quarterback. And make no mistake about it, Burrow is one of the best in the business. After starting 0-2, Cincinnati finished 12-4 behind his career-high and franchise-record 35 touchdown passes and four game-winning drives. \u2014 James Boyd, Colts beat writer<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 He\u2019s the ultimate \u201cpick your poison\u201d QB who will beat teams with the long ball, checkdowns, back-shoulder passes, scrambles or whatever vulnerability a defense shows. And he just led the Bengals through a second-half-of-the-season gantlet with flying colors. Even without Ja\u2019Marr Chase and Joe Mixon for multiple weeks, he just kept winning. \u2014 Dave Niinemets, NFL senior editor<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 The Bengals are in an excellent position to challenge for a second-straight trip to the Super Bowl, and Burrow is reason No. 1. \u2014 Joe Buscaglia, Bills beat writer<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 The Cincinnati quarterback\u2019s right: the window for the Bengals is wide open as long as he\u2019s the starting quarterback. Oh, and there\u2019s this: Cincinnati hasn\u2019t lost since Halloween. \u2014 Zak Keefer, Colts beat writer<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 Burrow recognized how teams were defending his high-powered supporting cast of receivers and made the necessary adjustments to make Cincinnati the most dangerous underdog of the postseason. \u2014\u00a0Diante Lee, NFL staff writer<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 You know how sometimes after the regular season, we all decide on the MVP, and then once the playoffs begin, we realize we were actually wrong? Burrow could be that guy. \u2014 Doug Haller, senior writer<\/i><\/p>\n Improbable\u2026 if it wasn\u2019t Joey B.<\/p>\n Up next #BALatCIN<\/a> on NBC pic.twitter.com\/vQ2DtpP8Xh<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) January 11, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u2014 It\u2019s not always pretty, but oftentimes, it is spectacular. Allen finished with 42 total touchdowns (35 passing, seven rushing), which is the second most behind Mahomes\u2019 45 scores. When watching Allen compete, it always feels like an explosive play is about to happen. \u2014 Brugler<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 Allen didn\u2019t miss a single game this season, even while battling through a multiweek injury to his throwing arm. He also had to contend with an inconsistent group of pass catchers outside of Stefon Diggs and, at times, a below-average offensive line in front of him. Without Allen at quarterback, the Bills would likely be just a slightly above-average team. \u2014 Buscaglia<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014\u00a0The Bills are completely dependent on Allen\u2019s creativity as a runner and passer. He has carried that offense. \u2014Ted Nguyen, NFL staff writer<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 The very high bar he set in the 2021 playoffs probably has not been reached this year, but when it comes to players who bring value to championship-caliber teams, this is another easy selection. He has another gear to find here in the postseason, and if he finds it, the Bills could be the Super Bowl favorites. \u2014 Bob Sturm, Cowboys beat writer<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014\u00a0Allen wills the Bills at times, overpowers the opposition and can make the huge play almost on demand. \u2014\u00a0Mike Sando, NFL columnist<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 Bad Josh made a few too many cameos between Week 8 and Week 18, especially in the red zone. But Good Josh is the only player in the league on Mahomes\u2019 level, and nobody (save perhaps Lamar Jackson, who has now been hurt in consecutive seasons) carries a heavier load than Allen, who is the center of every single thing the Bills do on offense. Imagine him in the Eagles offense. That\u2019s why he gets the nod for me over Hurts. \u2014 DeChant<\/i><\/p>\n UN. REAL.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcfa: @NFLonCBS<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/AWZpDUIK79<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 8, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u2014 I\u2019d argue he\u2019s the most exciting skill-position player in the league, and there\u2019s no chance Minnesota would be 13-4 without him. It would be easy to peg Kirk Cousins as an MVP candidate just because it\u2019s become a quarterback-driven award. But Cousins can be hit or miss. And Jefferson makes Cousins more of a hit than a miss. \u2014 Larry Holder, NFL writer\/columnist<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 I feel strange voting for a receiver here over someone like Joe Burrow or Josh Allen, but this just speaks to Jefferson\u2019s utter dominance this season. If he had a comparable season as a quarterback, he\u2019d win this award unanimously. Between leading the league in receptions, targets, receiving yards and first downs AND making some of the more ridiculous catches you\u2019ll ever see (see Week 10 versus Buffalo), I would argue Jefferson had one of the best receiving seasons in NFL history. \u2014 Adam Hirshfield, NFL deputy managing editor<\/i><\/p>\n JUSTIN JEFFERSON ASDGJSKDNFGKSDF;K<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcfa: #MINvsBUF<\/a> on FOX \u2014 NFL (@NFL) November 13, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u2014 The Vikings are a confounding team, but there\u2019s no doubt about Jefferson\u2019s remarkable abilities. \u2014 Ben Standig, Commanders beat writer<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 Let\u2019s be real: You take Jefferson out of the Vikings\u2019 lineup this season, and that\u2019s maybe a seven- or eight-win team. Even as defenses crafted entire game plans around him, Jefferson just kept racking up yards, TDs and eye-popping highlights. \u2014 Burke<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 Everyone likes to rag on the Vikings for not feeling like a 13-win team. So imagine how many wins they\u2019d have without the best wide receiver on earth? He\u2019s not a quarterback, which tends to disqualify him as an MVP candidate, but that should be different with Jefferson, who has been unstoppable against just about everyone who has tried to cover him and keeps Minnesota in every game with his presence. His numbers don\u2019t hurt either. \u2014 Zack Rosenblatt, Jets beat writer<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 If there was a wide receiver who should be strongly considered for MVP, it\u2019s Jefferson. It\u2019s just the wrong year (or era) because there will always be a Mahomes or Burrow or Allen, etc. Look at that Vikings roster and figure out how they won 13 games, then go watch Jefferson. \u2014 Fishbain<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 The simple answer is that Jefferson is the best receiver in the league. His rare skills and clutch plays this season have been the biggest reasons the Vikings have won so many one-score games. \u2014 Nate Taylor, Chiefs beat writer<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 Why not a defensive player? It\u2019s just as big a part of the game as offense, and Bosa was the best defensive player in the league while also playing on the league\u2019s best defense and one of the true Super Bowl contenders. No, he\u2019s not going to win, but he deserves some votes. \u2014 Durkin<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 The likely Defensive Player of the Year deserves some love. He led the NFL with 18.5 sacks, and he was the best player on the best defense in the league, which drove the 49ers to 13 wins despite playing the majority of the season with a second- or third-string quarterback. \u2014 Tashan Reed, Raiders beat writer<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 He has singlehandedly changed the course of football games in a way that usually only quarterbacks do. \u2014 David Lombardi, 49ers beat writer<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 Though Kyle Shanahan has maximized Brock Purdy, the Niners are a Super Bowl contender because of their elite defense. Bosa has been the league\u2019s most dominant defender this season. \u2014 Aaron Reiss, NFL staff editor<\/i><\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a sack-a-rooney, baby!\u201d<\/p>\n Nick Bosa mic\u2019d up \ud83d\ude02\ud83d\udc80pic.twitter.com\/AtAUjVIYU1<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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\ud83d\udcf1: Stream on NFL+ https:\/\/t.co\/nMh7vXuCB4 pic.twitter.com\/4Qbn8PcID4<\/a><\/p>\n\n
3. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (37 points)<\/b><\/h2>\n
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4. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (28 points)<\/b><\/h2>\n
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5. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings (11 points)<\/b><\/h2>\n
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\ud83d\udcf1: Stream on NFL+ https:\/\/t.co\/uRjde5F169 pic.twitter.com\/sxiLVx0NCi<\/a><\/p>\n\n