Who will be MVP?

The big news surrounding the NFL right now, other than the Bengals pulling out a miracle and winning a game, is who will win the MVP vote.

As usual, there are a few front runners in the race, with the leader boards and odds changing constantly. As last years winner, Patrick Mahomes was favored to win the MVP again, but with a few injuries and other standout players emerging, he quickly fell to third in the rankings. I’m going to give a list of the top three candidates, as well as some of their stats to see who should be the 2019 NFL MVP.

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1. Lamar Jackson (-300 odds)

Lamar Jackson is the clear front-runner in this years MVP race. He has had an unbelievable season so far, leading his team to a two loss season through week 13. Their only losses are to the Chiefs in week three and the Browns in week four. The Ravens have huge wins over the Texans and 49ers as well as a win in New England to hand the Patriots their first loss of the season. So far , Jackson has passed for over 2,500 yards with a completion percentage of 66.5 and 25 touchdowns. Along with that he leads all quarterbacks in rushing yards with 977 yards for seven touchdowns, and is on track to break Michael Vick’s rushing records for quarterbacks. His QB rating currently is an 81.6 with him only having thrown five interceptions this season.

2. Russell Wilson
(+300 odds)

Not far behind Jackson sits Russell Wilson. While Wilson has also led his team to a 10-2 season through week 13, with losses to the Saints in week three, and the Ravens in week seven, the Seahawks’ quarterback is not the top choice for MVP currently. Russell Wilson is far ahead of Lamar in passing yards with 3,177 and 26 touchdowns, but Jackson has far exceeded him with his legs. Russ has only rushed for 284 yards and three touchdowns so far. While these are still high rushing numbers for most NFL quarterbacks, Lamar Jackson has just far surpassed Russell Wilson. Wilson’s QB rating is slightly lower than Jackson’s with a 72.1, and Wilson having thrown four interceptions and a completion percentage of 67.4.

3. Patrick Mahomes (+1200 odds)

As an extremely dynamic player last season, Patrick Mahomes is continuing his unique playing style through this season, but an injury to his ankle and his knee have him out of a few games.  Mahomes injured his ankle early in the season, and later dislocated his kneecap in a quarterback sneak. However, even with these set backs he has still been able to post solid numbers to keep him in the running for MVP. His rushing has been slower than last year with only 166 rushing yards for one touchdown. However, he has kept up the passing with nearly 3,000 passing yards for 20 touchdowns. Mahomes has a 64.5 completion percentage and a 76.6 QB rating with him only having thrown two interceptions all season.

While there is still much of the season left before the MVP will be decided for certain, many feel the players are quickly beginning to separate from the rest of the pack. Lamar Jackson especially has been surging ahead, and his teammates have been backing him since the beginning of the season. Mark Ingram especially, has voiced who he thinks will be the MVP in a press conference.