When we talk about the NFL MVP predictions 2021, we have to address multiple subjects. For starters, we already know that the NFL is a quarterback’s league, meaning other skill players are unlikely to win that award.
Even if that’s a controversial statement, you just have to take a look at the former NFL MVP winners to realize that, besides Adrian Peterson in 2012, no other non-quarterback has won it since 2006.
Also, we already know that Patrick Mahomes, Tom Brady, and Aaron Rodgers will be clear-cut favorites to win the award. But what about the NFL MVP dark horses? What about those players who could shock the world and take the award home?
NFL MVP predictions 2021: NFL MVP dark horses
We already have the first week of the 2021 NFL season on the books. That means that people are ready to overreact and blow things out of proportion, either for good or bad reasons.
If it’s still pretty early on the season. But still, we can already go ahead and make our picks for the top 3 NFL MVP dark horses. Check them out.
3. Baker Mayfield
It’s safe to say that Baker Mayfield‘s career got off to a somewhat disappointing start. He talked a big game and didn’t always back it up on the gridiron, but he’s come a long way. For starters, it’s the first time in decades that the Cleveland Browns have a consistent project. And a quarterback for more than… 2 seasons.
Mayfield won’t hurt you with his feet or make big plays on the ground, but he’s made great strides as a passer. He’s more confident, more accurate, and has improved when it comes to picking apart opposing defenses in real-time.
More than that, the Browns boast one of the best defensive units in the league, so they could be a dark horse candidate as a whole. If Cleveland beat the Steelers and Ravens for the division title, then Mayfield will get several votes for MVP.
2. Kyler Murray
Kyler Murray didn’t begin the season at the top of many MFL MVP predictions 2021, but he surely will after a couple of weeks. He’s one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks already and now has even more weapons in A.J. Green and Rondale Moore, as well as one of the best playmakers in the world in DeAndre Hopkins.
The Arizona Cardinals’ defense is middle of the pack, but their offense is great. Also, Murray continues to improve on a yearly basis. He can make plays as a runner and as a passer and his team looks poised to make a playoff run.
Murray has already been one of the MVPs of Fantasy Football but that didn’t always translate to wins on the gridiron. But, if he can stay healthy this season, he’s going to put up some video game-like stats more often than not.
1. Matthew Stafford
Matthew Stafford hasn’t gotten as much praise from the press of the fans as he’s gotten from his peers.
Throughout the years, other NFL players deem him one of the best passers in the league, and his toughness and grittiness are top-notch.
Now, for the first time in years, Stafford will play for a team that’s actually built to compete. The Los Angeles Rams have a plethora of weapons at his disposal and he’s already shown that he can throw the ball like the best of them.
Matthew Stafford enters this season as perhaps one of the biggest NFL MVP dark horses we’ve seen in years. He’s had a career plagued by heartbreaking losses and not much success, but he’s just too good not to take a step forward now that he’s on a better team.