The Most Valuable Player Award is the most illustrious individual award in any professional league. After 11 weeks of action in the 2024 NFL season, there is no clear favorite to win the MVP award. It means that every week the top candidates have the opportunity to pull away from the field through their scintillating performances. On the other hand, if a candidate struggles, then they could slide out of contention. The player who narrowly missed the cut is Patrick Mahomes. Mahomes is a 2-time MVP, and his team is 10-1 atop the AFC West Division. However, Mahomes has underwhelmed statistically by completing 69.8 percent of his passes for 2,673 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. The Chiefs are the 10th-best offense based on points per game and have only scored 30 points twice all season. In this article, we will break down the top 5 MVP candidates in the NFL so far.
5. Derrick Henry- the King was thirsty for success after suffering in Tennessee for the past two seasons. Derrick has made teams regret their decision through stellar performances on the field and signing a cheap 2-year deal worth 16 million dollars. Henry has 221 carries, 1,325 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 6.0 yards per carry. It is not just about the statistics, Henry brings physicality to the running game and has the knack of getting stronger in the fourth quarter. In the games the Ravens have lost, it can be attributed to moving away from the running game and sticking to the game plan. Henry’s best game came against the Buffalo Bills, tallying 24 carries, 199 yards, and a touchdown. If the offense keeps feeding Henry the football for the rest of the regular season, Derrick is likely to climb higher on this list.
4. Jared Goff- the Lions are the top offense in the league thanks to quarterback Jared Goff playing his best season under center. Goff is the cog in the engine that allows the Lions to operate a highly efficient offense by averaging 32.7 points per game and the number one ranking in the league. Jared has completed 72.9% of his passes, 2,761 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Goff has played one bad game against the Texans when he threw two touchdowns to 5 interceptions. However, in the following week, he tallied 412 passing yards, four touchdowns, and 0 interceptions to rebound against the Jacksonville Jaguars. I think Goff will fall short in his bid for the award because the Lions have one of the toughest schedules to close the season by facing the Bears twice, the Packers, Bills, 49ers, and Vikings.
3. Lamar Jackson- the Ravens quarterback has led the MVP race for most of the season. However, he slid in the pecking order after struggling against the Pittsburgh Steelers in an 18-16 loss on the road. In the game, Jackson completed 48.5% of his passes, threw an interception, and had his worst passer rating of 66.1 this season. However, Jackson bounced back under the Monday Night spotlight by completing 16 of his 22 passes, 177 yards, and two touchdowns against the Chargers. Lamar was masterful in making key plays with his legs, accurate passes down the field, and operating an efficient offense. Jackson shares the lead or is tied for the lead in yards, touchdowns, and interceptions. As a two-time MVP and the reigning awardee, Jackson would have to be vastly superior to the field to win the coveted award.
2. Josh Allen- many doubted whether Josh Allen could lead a receiving group without All-Star Stefon Diggs. Diggs became disgruntled in the Bills locker room due to contract situation, lack of target, and openly criticism of his team. Prior to last week’s bye, Allen had a wonderful performance in a 30-21 win at home against the Kansas City Chiefs. The biggest lay of the game and the season was a 26-yard run by Allen late in the fourth quarter to give the Bills a two-score lead. Allen is the glue for this team and franchise, and without him, they would be a seven or eight-win playoff contender.
1. Saquon Barkley- like Derrick Henry, Barkley was available in the off-season and signed an economical 3-year and 37.7-million-dollar deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. Barkley has been the catalyst behind a resurgent Eagles team that lost 6 of their last seven in 2023 to crash out of the playoffs in the Wild Card round. Barkley has been a captain in the locker room and delivered on the field by leading the league with 1,392 rush yards to go along with 27 catches for 257 yards and 12 touchdowns in 11 games. The standout performance was this past week against the Rams when he tallied 26 rushes 255 yards, and two touchdowns. The game was capped by two touchdown runs of 70 & 72 yards. The 255 yards is now a franchise record for a single game that surpasses LaSean McCoy’s record. Saquon is on pace to break the single-season rushing record of 2,151 yards set by Eric Dickerson. If he does, it will be hard to deny Saquan the right to be the first running back to win the award since Adrian Peterson in 2012.