Former NFL player and scout Bucky Brooks knows the ins and outs of this league, providing keen insight in his notebook. Today's installment takes a midseason look at a wide-open MVP race ...
The NFL's Most Valuable Player award is unquestionably the most prestigious individual honor a player can receive each season. In theory, the award should go to the player who has made the most significant impact on his team. These days, though, AP voters typically hand the hardware to the quarterback with the most impressive stats or the QB1 on the team with the most wins.
Admittedly, quarterbacks do have outsized influence on game outcomes. That said, plenty of players at other positions lift teams with stellar play. From dynamic runners churning out 100-yard games to pass rushers routinely producing splash plays, the NFL features a diverse collection of difference-makers who deserve recognition. So, while this year's MVP is likely to go to another quarterback -- as it has in each of the past 12 seasons -- this particular midseason hierarchy is about identifying a broader group of game-changers who have played key roles in their respective teams' fast starts.
As a result, you will not see luminaries like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson on the list, due to their team's disappointing midseason records (and Jackson's injury absence). Additionally, Josh Allen did not make the cut despite Buffalo's status as an AFC heavyweight with a 6-2 record. While there is plenty of time for the reigning MVP to rejoin the conversation, the guys spotlighted below have provided more individual brilliance to this point.
Now, to be clear, this rundown isn't anti-quarterback. The game's most important position still claims more than half the slots in this pecking order. But I wanted to think outside the box and reward some standouts who don't line up behind center.
Without further ado, here is my ranking of the top 10 MVP candidates at midseason.
New England has emerged as a dark-horse contender with Maye truly playing at an MVP level. The second-year pro boasts a league-high 74.1 completion percentage and a sparkling 116.9 passer rating, pushing the Patriots to the top of the AFC East. Maye's efficiency and explosiveness (he's averaging a whopping 9.0 yards per attempt) have energized an offense that is starting to find its rhythm under coordinator Josh McDaniels. With the Super Bowl-winning play-caller cleverly crafting the call sheet to accentuate Maye's talents as a mobile playmaker with surgical precision on downfield throws, the third overall pick from the 2024 NFL Draft is starting to play like the franchise cornerstone some envisioned when he showcased his abilities at UNC.
No running back has won the award since Adrian Peterson returned from a torn ACL/MCL to immediately eclipse 2,000 yards rushing in the 2012 campaign. RBs fight an uphill battle in this pursuit, but Taylor is making his case by piling up a league-best 895 rushing yards as the centerpiece of the NFL's No. 1 scoring offense (32.9 ppg). The 2021 rushing champ has never looked better, averaging a career-high 5.7 yards per carry while logging a league-best 12 ground scores. Taylor's performance as the spark plug behind Indianapolis' surprising rise to prominence puts him squarely in the MVP conversation.
If the Eagles keep stacking wins behind the efficient play of the reigning Super Bowl MVP, Hurts could receive the regular-season honor next. The dual-threat quarterback has quietly dominated opponents with 1,884 total yards and 20 combined touchdowns (15 passing, five rushing) against just two turnovers. While the naysayers suggest his game lacks pizzazz, Hurts continues to stack wins and command respect as the leader of a squad with back-to-back title aspirations.
This could be the season the football world fully recognizes Stafford for his excellence as a fearless gunslinger with a winning pedigree. The 17th-year pro leads all qualified passers in yards per game (268.4), touchdowns (21) and first downs (106), compiling an impressive 113.2 passer rating that reflects his efficiency from the pocket. Whether dropping no-look dimes to Puka Nacua and Davante Adams or adroitly checking the ball down to Kyren Williams and Tyler Higbee, Stafford's patience, discipline and arm talent make him a nightmare to defend. Given how performances in marquee games influence voters, Stafford's play against the league's heavyweights -- like when he completed over 70 percent of his passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns in a Week 4 win over the Colts -- could result in some more hardware on his mantel.
Just two defensive players have won the MVP award -- DT Alan Page in 1971 and OLB Lawrence Taylor in 1986 -- so I'm not gonna hold my breath on Hutchinson receiving the honor. Frankly, though, he should be squarely in the mix for three awards: Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year. After his 2024 season came to an abrupt end with a gruesome leg injury in Week 6, we didn't really know what to expect in the energetic edge rusher's return to action. Well, he looks like the same destructive force as before, with seven sacks, four forced fumbles and a league-high 46 QB pressures entering Week 10 (per Next Gen Stats). Hutchinson overwhelms and overpowers blockers at the line of scrimmage, routinely generating splash plays that change games.
While Mac Jones' resurgent effort in San Francisco has dominated headlines, the spectacular play of McCaffrey has been the talk of the league. The do-everything back leads the NFL in touches (229) and scrimmage yards (1,222), flashing unstoppable skills as an RB1/WR2 from the backfield. Although we have previously witnessed CMC's greatness as a multi-dimensional playmaker in 2019 (1,000 yards rushing and receiving) and 2023 (2,023 scrimmage yards and 21 touchdowns on 339 touches, all league highs), the veteran's dynamic skills have never been more essential to his team. Despite dealing with a laundry list of injuries, San Francisco is 6-3, thanks in large part to McCaffrey's superhuman performance. When you're talking about the most valuable players in the NFL today, this back must be discussed.
The eighth-year pro continues to impress as a passer and playmaker in a movement-based system that ideally suits his abilities. Darnold ranks near the top of the charts in completion percentage (70.4), passer rating (116.0) and passing yards per game (260.5), exhibiting the arm talent and big-play skills that prompted his selection as the No. 3 overall pick back in 2018. Though it has taken him years to hit his stride, he's enjoying his second straight prolific season. In Seattle, Klint Kubiak's scheme and the supporting cast (most notably, star wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba) have enabled him to produce his best football yet. With the Seahawks running roughshod over opponents behind Darnold's impressive play from the pocket, the league's top individual honor could reside in the Pacific Northwest by season's end.
After securing the perennial Pro Bowler in a blockbuster trade back in August, the Packers have unleashed Parsons off the edge in a "see ball, get ball" scheme that showcases his superior speed, strength and athleticism. The fifth-year pro has flourished with 6.5 sacks in eight games, and his presence has allowed others to exploit one-on-one matchups at the point of attack. There's a reason Rashan Gary (7.5 sacks) is on pace to hit double-digit sacks for the first time in his career, and that reason wears the No. 1 jersey. With the Packers playing like a top-five defense since his arrival, Parsons deserves credit for elevating the unit with his presence, performance and production.
As the league's most clutch quarterback these days, Mayfield definitely has a place in this race. The veteran has orchestrated four game-winning drives -- tied for most in the league with Bo Nix -- displaying exceptional poise and composure when the game is on the line. Additionally, Mayfield's pinpoint accuracy on hero throws at winning time shows his competitive stamina under pressure. If the eighth-year pro continues to dazzle in critical situations, while guiding the injury-ravaged Buccaneers to big wins, voters could see Mayfield as an underdog worthy of the ultimate recognition.
No one expected the Giants cast-off to re-emerge as a franchise player in Indianapolis, but Jones has flourished in Shane Steichen's system. The former No. 6 overall pick has shown top-notch playmaking skills while effectively managing the game and spreading the ball around to the Colts' top playmakers. With a supporting cast that features an NFL rushing leader (Jonathan Taylor) and a collection of explosive pass catchers (Michael Pittman Jr., Josh Downs, Alec Pierce and Tyler Warren), Indy's new QB1 is playing like the stars who have donned the horseshoe before him (remember Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck?) while guiding the Colts into the conversation as a legitimate title contender.
