NFL MVP stock watch: Rodgers by a whisker
By Dustin Baker
1. Aaron Rodgers, QB (Green Bay Packers)
Last Week’s Ranking: 1st
Highest Ranking of Season: 1st
2020 Stats: 3,828 Passing Yards, 40 Passing TDs, 4 INTs, 69.6% Comp, 118.0 Passer Rating
Aaron Rodgers tops Patrick Mahomes in QBR. Aaron Rodgers tops Patrick Mahomes in Pro Football Focus grade. Aaron Rodgers tops Patrick Mahomes in passer rating.
You cannot get around Rodgers’ MVP candidacy to crown Patrick Mahomes unless you are mesmerized by the aura and marketability of the Chiefs quarterback. Ignoring Rodgers for this honor is flat-out unfair. It’s unclear how voters will shakedown on this matter, but the MVP race should be one of the most hotly contested in the last decade.
The Packers did not thump the Carolina Panthers last Saturday, yet they did exit Saturday Night Football with a victory. What’s more, the Packers remain the NFC’s No. 1 seed, a standing that improved for the team because the aforementioned Chiefs downed the Saints. Rodgers will finish out his campaign for the 2020 MVP award vs. the Titans and Bears — not an ideal menu for award-chasing.
The Mahomes-Rodgers MVP race is not talked about enough. It should be — the statistical distinction between the two is microscopic.