The 2020 NFL regular season is just 41 percent complete, but we’re monitoring the league’s top MVP candidates. Here’s a look at the 10 players best aligned for MVP runs based on the first seven weeks of the 2020 campaign.
10. New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara: The NFL leader in scrimmage yards (824) and co-leader in touchdowns (seven) is the key reason the Saints are again a prime Super Bowl contender. He edges out teammate Drew Brees, who’s also pretty good at football.
9. Tennessee Titans QB Ryan Tannehill: Or Derrick Henry. The two might end up removing each other from MVP contention, but Tannehill is the quarterback of a first-place team, and he’s been a little more consistent than his star running back.
8. Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen: His production has declined sharply in recent weeks, but Allen still has primo rate-based stats as the quarterback for a first-place team.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger: He struggled with three interceptions in Week 7, but the Steelers still won and Big Ben has strong numbers for the league’s lone remaining unbeaten team.
6. Cleveland Browns edge Myles Garrett: The league’s top edge defender leads the NFL with nine sacks, and is tied for first in football with four forced fumbles. So long as he’s close to a record-breaking pace like that, he has to be included here.
5. Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray: The Cardinals are 5-2 primarily due to Murray’s play. The second-year top pick has nine touchdown passes to two interceptions over the last four weeks, and is on pace for 999 rushing yards and 16 rushing scores.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady: The 43-year-old looks much younger and stronger than he did last year, despite a multitude of changes and injuries surrounding him. He has the Bucs in the Super Bowl conversation at 5-2.
3. Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes: It’s a toss-up in the top-three. Mahomes hasn’t been as consistently dominant as the guys ahead of him, but the 2018 MVP has 16 touchdown passes to one pick for a first-place team.
2. Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson: He really stumbled with three picks in Week 7, but remains the league’s highest-rated passer for a first-place squad.
1. Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers: Following a rebound performance against the Houston Texans, the two-time MVP ranks behind only Wilson in passer rating with 17 touchdowns to two picks. He’s also quarterbacking a first-place contender. This is a hell of a race.
