NFL’s Midseason 2021 MVP Candidates

With now seven weeks of the NFL season played, we as football lovers can get an idea of who is in the MVP race. There is an incredible number of deserving players, particularly at the quarterback position, but there are a select five players that deserve it the most through almost half the season. Let us look at these five players and analyze what makes them and their team so great. These players are listed in no order, meaning it is a bubble of five players, rather than a ranking.

Kyler Murray, QB Arizona Cardinals

When a team is 7-1, it is usually because their quarterback, or someone on the roster, is playing at an MVP level. That is the case for the Arizona Cardinals, as their QB Kyler Murray arguably the favorite for MVP through their first seven games. Murray leads all of football with a 73.5% CMP, while also having 2,002 passing yards, 20 total touchdowns to five interceptions. Not to mention, his team is undefeated with four wins against teams that are .500 or better. According to DraftKings, Murray has the second-best odds to win MVP at +450. If the Cardinals keep winning games and Murray keeps up the play, there is no reason why he cannot bring home the award at the end of the season.

Matthew Stafford, QB Los Angeles Rams

This offseason, the Rams traded for QB Matthew Stafford in an effort to make a run at the Super Bowl. Through seven weeks, it has worked out in a big way. The Rams are 6-1, trailing only the Arizona Cardinals (7-0) in the NFC West, while playing some of their best football so far this season, including Stafford. Stafford is third in QBR, trailing only Murray and Russell Wilson, second in passing touchdowns with 19 (Tom Brady), and third in passing yards with 2,172. The trade looks like a home run as Stafford and the Rams continue to look like one of the best teams in football.

Derrick Henry, HB Tennessee Titans

If there were a year that a quarterback did not win the MVP award, it would be this season. HB Derrick Henry is the best running back in the NFL and it is not remotely close. 17 games or not, Henry is on pace to absolutely shatter Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record of 2,105 rushing yards. Through seven games, Henry has 869 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. He is first for both of those categories by a convincing amount, leading yards by 290 and touchdowns by 4. It also helps he leads the league in carries by a large amount, but his 4.5 yards per carry is nothing to sneeze at either. The biggest factor as well is that the Titans are 5-2 and lead their division. While QB Ryan Tannehill is a solid player, Henry is a different animal and deserves MVP recognition with the pace he is on right now.

Tom Brady, QB Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Imagine being 44 years old and still being at the top of your game at a professional level. Welcome to Tom Brady’s world. Brady continues to defy all logic and has gotten off to one of his best starts as a pro, which is incredible to think about. Brady leads all of football with 21 passing touchdowns, 2,275 passing yards, and seventh in QBR at 108.2. The Buccaneers are 6-1 and are currently on a four-game winning streak. Their last win was a dominant 38-3 blowout against the Chicago Bears. Brady is still at his best, which is scary to think about since he has been in the league for over 20 years now. That is why he is the GOAT.

Dak Prescott, QB Dallas Cowboys

If you are in for an incredible story, look at the story of QB Dak Prescott. Whether it has been tragedy or triumph, Prescott has dealt with some of the toughest battles over the last five or six years, from losing his mother to cancer or his brother to suicide. It has been as tough as it gets for Prescott, and last season proved no different when he gruesomely broke his ankle early in the season. One thing Prescott has always done was bounce back and come out stronger and so far in 2021, he has done just that. The Cowboys look like one of the best teams in the NFL and a lot of that has to do with Prescott. Through six games, Prescott has a 115.0 passer rating with 16 passing touchdowns and a 73.1% CMP. Dallas is riding a five-game winning streak after a tough loss to Brady and the Buccaneers in Week 1 and will look to carry the winning streak past Week 8. It has been an incredible year for Prescott, showing his perseverance and resilience to bounce back from any circumstance he has dealt with so far.

Stats from profootballreference.com

Betting odds from Draft Kings

Writer

-By: Richie Dordas