It's been a crazy NFL season, from major starting quarterback injuries to two head coach firings and the"tush push" becoming controversial. There's one award (other than the Lombardi trophy, of course) that NFL players look forward to putting under their resume: the MVP. The MVP is regarded as primarily an award that goes to QBs, which is true; the quarterback is "arguably" the most challenging position in all sports, but this season may have some other skill positions, giving the quarterbacks a run for their money. Let's get into it and discuss the five players I believe have a shot at winning the NFL MVP.
No. 5- Jalen Hurts
2023 Stats: 268 Completions, 66.5 Completion Percentage, 2,995 Yards, 19 Touchdowns, 10 Interceptions, 93.8 Passer Rating, 61.4 QBR, 430 Rushing Yards, 12 Rushing Touchdowns
All right, let's get started with Philly's quarterback, Jalen Hurts. Hurts has led the Eagles to a 10-2 record, 1st in the NFC East. Hurts is also a part of an Eagles offense that is fourth in points and ninth in yards. Now, yes, there are the ten interceptions that hurt Hurts (no pun intended), but he does lead all QBs in rushing touchdowns (31 total TDs) and is eighth in QBR. With all that said, Philly's defense hasn't been as good as it was last year, as they rank 24th in points and 22 in yards against. Hurts has led his team to one of the top in the NFC, and if the Eagles can find a way to snatch back the No. 1 seed, Hurts has a great chance to snag his first MVP trophy.
No. 4 - Christian McCaffery
2023 Stats: 210 Carries, 1.032 Rushing Yards. 4.9 YPC, 12 Rushing Touchdowns, 51 Receptions, 429 Receiving Yards, 8.4 YPC, 5 Receiving Touchdowns
McCaffery in Kyle Shannan's offense is like peanut butter and jelly, or heck, even football on Sundays; they go so well together. CMC leads the league in rushing yards with 1,032 and also in rushing plus receiving touchdowns in the league with 17. In 2019, CMC had 19 total touchdowns, while there are still five games left this season... McCaffery's incredible athleticism has helped lead the 49ers to the 2nd seed in the NFC and 1st in the NFC West. Sadly, the MVP is a "QB award," but if CMC can keep up the absurd TD rate, he has a real shot at winning this.
No. 3 - Brock Purdy
2023 Stats: 233 Completions, 70.2 Completion Percentage, 3,185 Yards, 23 Touchdowns, 6 Interceptions, 116.1 Passer Rating, 75.6 QBR, 131 Rushing Yards, 2 Rushing Touchdowns
Say what you want about Purdy, "He just throws slants and bubbles." "CMC, Deebo, and Kittle carry him." Why didn't Jimmy G or Trey Lance put up the same numbers as Prudy? Both of them had chances to play as much as Purdy has in Shannahan's offense. Purdy has been impressive this season, and there's no doubt it; he leads the NFL in QBR, completion percentage, TD percentage, and yards per attempt. Purdy has also led the 49ers offense to the third-best in points and yards. Now, yes, what may hold "Mr. Revallent" back from winning the MVP is that he does have a lot of talent around him, including one of the best defenses in the game. Even then, if Purdy can show that he is the center point of the San Fran offense (like he did last week against Philly, throwing for 314 yards and four touchdowns), he could walk away with an MVP trophy. What a story that would be...
No. 2- Dak Prescott
2023 Stats- 288 Completions, 70.1 Completion Percentage, 3,234 Yards, 26 Touchdowns, 6 Interceptions, 108.3 Passer Rating, 75.4 QBR, 174 Rushing Yards, 2 Rushing Touchdowns
The leader in touchdown passes, Prescott is well on his way to having the best statistical season out of all quarterbacks this year. The Cowboy's offense is also first in points and fifth in yards so far this season. I believe the big thing that could hold Prescott back from winning the MVP is Cowboy's performance against other top teams in the NFL. Dallas has lost against the 49ers and Eagles; Dallas will still have another shot to beat the Eagles this Sunday night. Even then, Dak has a huge jump from last season to being the league leader in interceptions to now being a front-runner for the NFL MVP. Of the quarterbacks, I think Dak has the best chance to win the MVP at this point.
No. 1 Tyreek Hill
2023 Stats- 93 Receptions, 1,481 Yards, 15.9 YPC, 123.4 YPG, 12 Touchdowns
It's time to get a little controversial; as it stands, Tyreek Hill is on pace for 2,098 yards, which would break Calvin Johnson’s single-season record of 1,964 yards. In other words, no other receiver in NFL history has ever reached the 2,000-yard milestone. In that achievement alone, I do think Hill should be considered the MVP for the 2023 season. Hill also leads the league in receiving touchdowns and yards per game. If Hill were named the MVP of this season, he would be the first non-QB to win since Adrian Peterson in 2012. Hill is also a part of a Dolphins offense that is second in scoring and first in yards. Yes, maybe he has a little help from Tua, but what Hill does on the football field is just downright impressive. Currently, Hill is my favorite to win the MVP, and if he records over 2,000 receiving yards, I don't see a way he can just get an OPOY award.
With five weeks of games to be played in the NFL, anything can happen, between injuries, teams falling off the rails, or another surprise MVP candidate coming out of nowhere. Of course, only time will tell if one of these five guys will take home the NFL's most prestigious award. However, all of these guys listed above have carried their team to one of the top spots in their respective divisions and deserve recognition for that. It'll be a fun and tight battle to the end!
(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)