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3 Candidates For NFL MVP That Aren't Quarterbacks

By Donnavan Smoot

Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry.
Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry. / Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com / USA
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We all know the NFL MVP is a quarterbacks award. However, this past season we saw two players (Jonathan Taylor and Cooper Kupp) get some serious attention from the media as MVP candidates. 

WynnBET released its odds for the 2022 NFL MVP earlier this week. It takes a while before non-quarterbacks are mentioned, but here are the three best options for non-quarterback MVP candidates. 

Best Non-Quarterback MVP candidates

  • Derrick Henry: +2500
  • Deebo Samuel: +5000
  • Christian McCaffrey: +10000

Derrick Henry: +2500

Henry was in the MVP conversation last year before he got injured. He was on pace to challenge 2,000 yards again and remained the lifeblood of the Tennessee Titans’ offense when he returned. The Titans are going to give Henry every opportunity to carry the offense this season. 

Although Henry fully deserved to win the award based on his play, his case is more of a culmination of great years. If he comes out this season and continues to play at the level he’s been playing at, expect him to be in the conversation. 

Deebo Samuel: +5000

Samuel is going to be the top weapon for a San Francisco 49ers team that will be competing in one of the toughest divisions in the league. Samuel turned into a swiss army knife for the 49ers last year. He finished with 1,770 all-purpose yards and 14 touchdowns last year. 

Now, he will be playing with a first-time starter at quarterback and will likely have to create most of the big plays for San Francisco. We saw how effective Cooper Kupp was last year. If Samuel can be close to that level of production, he can break through. 

Christian McCaffrey: +10000

The last time we saw Christian McCaffrey healthy, he had one of the all-time great seasons from a player. He had 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards receiving in 2019. When he is on the field, he is just as productive as that season. The issue is him staying on the field. If McCaffrey can be available, we will see astronomical numbers from him. 

At 100/1, McCaffrey is at a highly discounted price. This is great value for one of the best backs in the league. All he needs is a few wins and the case is made.

Honorable Mention: Cooper Kupp: +3000

I would put Kupp in my top three, but I’m expecting just a little bit of regression. He was 18 yards away from breaking the single-season receiving yards record. I don’t think he does that again or wins the triple crown again. If he wasn’t able to get it this year, then I’m not sure what the future looks like for him.

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