Will the Real NFL MVP Please Stand Up

If there is one thing that the NFL media circus will always come back to with NFL coverage, it’s the constant flowers given to the league’s two premier star boys: Mahomes and the recently retired Tom Brady. Despite the two Super Bowl champion quarterbacks having earned their admiration, the reality is the quarterback position now is more talented than perhaps it’s ever been, which should make this year’s race for MVP among the most exciting in recent memory.
It’s impossible to count out Mahomes, but with Brady and much of the NFL old guard enjoying retirement life, Mahomes’ resume is perhaps the most storied among active NFL players. However, he wins at a level we haven’t seen since Tom Brady. If recent history has taught us anything, however, MVP is determined just as much by narrative as by play on the field.
Among the field of worthy contenders for the crown of MVP would be Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson. Despite their greatness at playing their positions on the field, the pick for MVP that I would put money on is former LSU QB1 Joe Burrow. While critics may point to his lower leg injury that he suffered earlier this summer as proof enough that Burrow won’t be ready to compete at a high enough level throughout the entirety of the season, it’s my take that he wouldn’t be out there if he couldn’t produce on Week 1.
Some may point to the skill gap between Burrow and Mahomes, and while Mahomes is exceptional, there’s not a pass that I’ve seen him make that Joe Burrow can’t. From footwork to pocket presence, to reading coverages, and delivering perfect passes consistently, I’ve observed Burrow reach the same heights as a winner as I did with Mahomes before he won his first.
The stats argument may very well go to Mahomes by the end of the season, or perhaps Josh Allen or Lamar, but to me, Joe Burrow has an it-factor when it comes to winning games that I can’t find myself betting against. After considering his weapons in Jamar Chase and Tee Higgins, Burrow has the opportunity to be just as exceptional as his more talented contemporaries.
Despite the advances that have come with modern-day sports analytics, we can generally always go back to the eye test at the end of the day to make a case for or against a given player. I know what my eyes showed me in 2019 when Burrow was at LSU and again in 2021 against the Chiefs in the playoffs. When Joe Burrow has the weapons and the upgraded offensive line that he does, I see no reason to underrate what he can be this NFL season, and that’s not just an MVP, but a Super Bowl MVP.