As the NFL schedule moves towards the playoffs, the race for the Most Valuable Player award is heating up. This year, the competition has provided several standout performances from across the league. From experienced vets to a standout rookie, the leading candidates have made strong cases based on electrifying performances week after week.
Let’s dive into the top five leading contenders for the 2024 NFL MVP, examining what sets them apart and why they’re in the running for the league’s most prestigious individual honor.
Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens – QB)
Last season, Lamar Jackson earned his second MVP award in four years, becoming the second youngest in history to do so. Currently leading the league in touchdowns and QBR, Jackson is also on pace to best his career high in yardage which he set last season. While the Ravens’ 0-2 start created a bit of a speed bump on his path to a second straight award, since that time Baltimore has gone 7-1.
If you have watched a Ravens game, you know that Jackson is more than just a quarterback with an arm, as he is also arguably the league’s best running QB and one of the NFL’s best players on the rush, sitting twenty-first overall. If Jackson can push the Ravens to their second straight AFC North title and continue his record-setting pace over the next seven games, he is the heavy favorite to find his name engraved on a third MVP award.
Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills – QB)
While his best season may have come in 2020, the Bills quarterback is still among the top five in QBR rating. Most thought that Allen would struggle with the loss of Stefon Diggs, his primary target for most of the past four seasons. That’s not the only thing that has changed for Allen, as this season he has been limited to just one designed running play per game, whereas in previous seasons he averaged nearly twice as many planned carries.
During the Bills’ 8-2 start, which includes their current five-game winning streak, Allen has thrown 17 touchdowns with just four interceptions and a 63.5% completion rate. The Bills are on a cakewalk to their fifth straight AFC East title (mainly due to the terrible season by the other three teams in their division) and are on pace to finish with the second-best record in the conference.
Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs – QB)
It’s hard to have a list of NFL MVP contenders without mentioning Patrick Mahomes. While he has two MVP awards already on his resume, Mahomes could easily have three or four. With the Chiefs sitting at 9-0, Mahomes is on pace for a career-high completion percentage, sitting at 69.5% (his career-best came last season at 67.2%). Although his touchdown numbers may be down and his interception numbers may be trending in the wrong direction, Mahomes, who may statistically be having the worst year of his career, still finds ways to showcase why he’s considered one of the most talented quarterbacks of his generation.
Sitting sixth in QBR and outside of the top ten in passing yards, Mahomes is far from posting his best statistical season, but take him away from the Chiefs and they certainly wouldn’t be undefeated.
Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders – QB)
The last time a rookie won the NFL MVP was when Jim Brown earned the honor in 1957. That tells you how rare it is for a rookie to be in the mix for the title of the league’s Most Valuable Player. Chicago’s Caleb Williams may have received all of the hype entering the draft, but it has been the second overall pick who has defied the odds and commanded the spotlight.
Sitting 7-4 in the NFC East, the Commanders eclipsed last year’s win total by mid-October and Daniels is one of the biggest reasons for the turnaround. With a 68.7% completion rate and just a pair of interceptions, Daniels is playing with more confidence than any of the other rookie quarterbacks in his draft class.
Jared Goff (Detroit Lions – QB)
One might argue that Kyler Murray, Derrick Henry, Jalen Hurts, and Joe Burrow deserve to be on this list, and honestly, they wouldn’t be wrong. With the odds shifting dramatically each week, now might be the time for betting fans to leverage some Canada sportsbook promos. However, Goff has the Lions sitting at 8-1, which is the best in the NFC. Now in his fourth season in Detroit, the nine-year NFL veteran is on pace to record his best season with the Lions.
While he does have a 71.8% completion rate, Goff has thrown 9 interceptions and is on pace for a career-high. With five turnovers in his last game, Goff will need to have a stellar finish in order to erase any of the damage that his outing against the Houston Texans may have cost.
