Super Bowl 54: 10 likeliest players to win MVP

AVENTURA, FL - JANUARY 29: A general view of the Super Bowl LIV patch on a Kansas City Chiefs jersey during the Kansas City Chiefs press conference on January 29, 2020 at the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa in Aventura, FL. (Photo by Rich Graessle/PPI/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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SANTA CLARA, CA – JANUARY 19: Deebo Samuel #19 of the San Francisco 49ers breaks free of a tackle from Darnell Savage #26 of the Green Bay Packers during the game at Levi’s Stadium on January 19, 2020 in Santa Clara, California. The 49ers defeated the Packers 37-20. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images) /

7. 49ers Wide Receiver Deebo Samuel

The evolution of the passing game in the NFL has been a boon to the odds of a wide receiver winning the Super Bowl’s MVP honors. Prior to 2005, only three wide receivers had taken home the Super Bowl MVP award, with the last coming back in 1989, San Francisco’s Jerry Rice.

Deion Branch won the award in 2005 and three more wideouts have claimed it since, including last year’s MVP winner, Julian Edelman. The recipe for a receiver to win the MVP award usually involves a game where the quarterback throws for a significant amount of yards to one player without tossing multiple touchdown passes.

That sounds an awful lot like how the 49ers will look to play this game, which opens the door for a pass catcher to win the MVP for the second year in a row. You can take your pick of targets on the 49ers who could fit the bill, but in terms of receivers the most logical fit is Deebo Samuel.

Jimmy Garoppolo has a growing rapport with Samuel, who has been a significant factor in the passing game even though the 49ers haven’t thrown the ball much. Samuel was the target on three of Garoppolo’s eight passing attempts in the NFC Championship Game, securing two catches in the process.

If the 49ers utilize the quick passing game to try and slow down the Chiefs’ pass rush, Samuel could be a big beneficiary, posting a line similar to the one Edelman did for the Patriots last year. Depending on game flow, Samuel could be a dark horse to make it five MVP’s for receivers in the past 16 years.

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