MVP talk after just three games? It’s never too early to start gauging the NFL MVP race, so we’re doing exactly that despite the fact the 2018 regular season is only 19 percent complete.
Some of the names listed here might look silly in the weeks to come. But here are the top 10 candidates that have emerged after Week 3.
1. Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (last week: 2): The Chiefs are one of just three 3-0 teams, and Mahomes leads the league with 13 touchdown passes (to zero interceptions) and a 137.4 passer rating. Not much to debate here.
2. New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees (last week: NR): The ageless Brees has led the Saints to back-to-back fourth-quarter comeback victories. He’s completed more than 80 percent of his passes, he’s yet to throw an interception, and he’s the league’s third-highest-rated passer.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Ryan Fitzpatrick (last week: 1): The league’s second-highest-rated passer still gets love here for going over 400 yards in a record three consecutive weeks to start the season, but he’s been intercepted four times and his Week 3 performance against the Steelers wasn’t pretty.
4. Miami Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill (last week: 8): Is the 30-year-old former top-10 pick finally becoming a star? He’s completed 71 percent of his passes while posting a 121.8 passer rating for the 3-0 Dolphins.
5. Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff (last week: 10): It’s not just about the system. The third-year No. 1 overall pick has been lighting it up since halftime of Week 1. Like Tannehill, he has a completion percentage north of 70 and a triple-digit passer rating for an unbeaten team.
6. Chicago Bears OLB Khalil Mack (last week: 5): Four sacks, three forced fumbles, an interception and a touchdown. And his Bears are in first place in the tough NFC North. Mack is sending a message to Jon Gruden and anyone else who doubted him.
7. Carolina Panthers QB Cam Newton (last week: NR): Rather quietly, the 2015 MVP has completed an uncharacteristic 67.4 percent of his passes. He’s thrown just one interception and has a passer rating just short of 100 for a team that is tied for first place.
8. Washington Redskins QB Alex Smith (last week: NR): He outplayed Aaron Rodgers in a victory over the Packers, and he’s once again got a triple-digit passer rating for a team that is tied for first place. Smith is just so steady.
9. Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (last week: 1): His numbers don’t jump off the page, but Rodgers is far from 100 percent and he’s still the league’s eight-highest-rated passer while keeping Green Bay in the mix.
10. New Orleans Saints WR Michael Thomas (last week: NR): No way Thomas wins this with Brees throwing to him, but he has to make the list while on pace to catch more than 200 passes.