In football, the moment with the potential to create the most controversy is always the presentation of the Most Valuable Player trophy to one’s team. And 2023 will be no exception.
In fact, football bigwigs, like fans, are increasingly inclined to change or modernize the definition of the NFL’s most prestigious individual award.
Since 1938, the “MVP” trophy has been awarded “to the player considered the most valuable in the NFL during the regular season.”
However, a problem remains, and it was highlighted by former defensive end JJ Watt on CBS.
The most valuable player to his team will and always should be a quarterback, because there is no more valuable player on the field than a quarterback.
JJ Watt, former Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals player
In 2014, Watt had 20.5 sacks, one interception for a touchdown, five fumble recoveries, one safety touchdown and 51 quarterback tackles. That year, quarterback Aaron Rodgers won the Most Valuable Player award for his team.
PHOTO MATT PATTERSON, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Former defensive end JJ Watt, in 2021
“But the most valuable player and the best player in the NFL are not always the same person,” he added, humbly confirming that that season he was the best football player in the world.
However, the debate is relaunched once again this season. There are only a few games left in the season and already the candidates for the various end-of-season individual awards are emerging.
Right now, according to oddsmakers, Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers, Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens, and Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys are the favorites. What do they have in common? They all occupy the same position.
It’s normal that they are favorites, because no player not playing at quarterback has won the coveted trophy since Adrian Peterson in 2012.
Most useful
JJ Watt is right when he says that no player on the field is more valuable than a quarterback. The pivot is at the start of all sequences. The success of each play depends on the quarterback’s reading, performance, adaptability, vision, communication, choice and execution.
With this in mind, Brock Purdy should be considered. The young Niners quarterback proved beyond any doubt that his unexpected success last season was not a flash in the pan. He has an absolutely fantastic offensive squad, arguably the best in the entire NFL, but he remains effective week after week. Earning less than $1 million per year, he plays like a veteran. At the time of writing, the 23-year-old was second in the league in receiving touchdowns and was guiding the NFL’s most dangerous team.
Lamar Jackson won this trophy in 2019. If all goes well, he could win it a second time. Jackson is working miracles in the absence of his tight end Mark Andrews. Above all, he must deal with an insufficient Odell Beckham Jr and a still too inexperienced Zay Flowers. Jackson carries this team on his shoulders. And he does it well, because the Ravens are the best in the American Conference.
PHOTO PHELAN M. EBENHACK, ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson on December 17
Otherwise, other candidates appear interesting, even if they perhaps do not have the confidence and performance of the two players named previously. Dak Prescott will definitely be in the discussion if the Cowboys can get their act together. Tua Tagovailoa finally explodes with the Miami Dolphins after coming close to never playing football again. Then, with a rare section title in their pocket, the Detroit Lions wouldn’t be the same without Jared Goff, who not only limited the damage, but also gave his team a real chance in every game.
Par excellence
However, if we defied all odds and relied solely on logic, no quarterback would win the MVP award this season.
If, as Watt said, the best player in the NFL isn’t necessarily the most valuable, Tyreek Hill and Christian McCaffrey would be in the running to win the trophy.
They alone truly deserve this distinction.
No receiver in NFL history has reached 2,000 air yards in a season. Tyreek Hill could become the first. The Dolphins player is at 1,641 yards with two games remaining in the season. The task will be colossal, but not impossible for the fastest athlete in the league. However, the only match in which he was absent this season could leave him badly at the finish line.
PHOTO JASEN VINLOVE, USA TODAY SPORTS VIA REUTERS CON
Receiver Tyreek Hill last Sunday
But Hill catches everything, he’s there all the time. THE poolers Drafters are rubbing their hands every week, and he’s already assured himself of being the first pick in the majority of Fantasy games next season. The Dolphins wouldn’t be as successful if Hill wasn’t in the lineup. He leads the league in plays of 20+ yards and 40+ yards.
However, on the West Coast, a player could steal the trophy from him. Christian McCaffrey of the 49ers is by far the best running back in the NFL. The 27-year-old has no equal in this league. His consistency, versatility and performance make him the best football player in the world currently. He leads running backs in yards, and no one has more first downs on the ground. He is the go-to man and MVP of the best team in the NFL. Each match is a certainty that he will shine and show the full extent of his talent. Whether by running or passing. Above all, only twice this season has he finished the game without scoring a touchdown. And this kind of season is worthy of mention.