Oct 28, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) against the Green Bay Packers at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
NFLBy Brad Gagnon on

The 2021 NFL regular season is just 60 percent complete, but it’s never too early to monitor the league’s top MVP candidates. Here’s a look at the 10 players best aligned for MVP runs based on the first 11 weeks of the campaign.

1. Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray: The Cards are a league-best 9-2 and Murray has a league-high 110.4 passer rating. This is pretty clear-cut.

2. Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford: Back-to-back messy performances in losing efforts has Stafford in big trouble, but he still has the league’s top QBR for a 7-3 team.

3. Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins: The hottest quarterback in the league is leading one of the hottest teams in the league. The numbers aren’t quite there yet, nor are the Vikings. But at their current rate, it could happen.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady: The NFL leader with a 29-to-8 touchdown-to-interception ratio has to be part of the conversation as he leads the Super Bowl favorites into the home stretch.

5. Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers: It’s been a roller-coaster, but Rodgers is the NFC’s highest-rated passer for a team that has a good shot at the top seed in the conference despite a brutal Week 11 loss.

6. Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert: The consistency has been lacking for the sophomore, but the big plays are there and his numbers put him in contention.

7. Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen: Same problem here, and the Bills are falling out of contention for a prime seed in the AFC. But we know Allen has it in him based on last season and his peaks this year.

8. Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes: The numbers are way off, but the Chiefs are winning and we can’t count out the highest-rated passer in NFL history just yet.

9. Indianapolis Colts RB Jonathan Taylor: After a historic performance in Week 11, the league’s leader in scrimmage yards and touchdowns has to be a contender as he carries the contending Colts on his shoulders.

10. Dallas Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs: He remains on pace for an NFL-record 14 interceptions, and he therefore remains on this list.

About Brad Gagnon

Brad Gagnon has been passionate about both sports and mass media since he was in diapers -- a passion that won't die until he's in them again. Based in Toronto, he's worked as a national NFL blog editor at theScore.com, a producer and writer at theScore Television Network and a host, reporter and play-by-play voice at Rogers TV. His work has also appeared at CBSSports.com, Deadspin, FoxSports.com, The Guardian, The Hockey News and elsewhere at Comeback Media, but his day gig has him covering the NFL nationally for Bleacher Report.

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