5 early MVP candidates for 2022 NFL season ft. Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers is the defending NFL MVP after winning the award two seasons in a row, but he will face stiff competition for the trophy this time, based on early-season form.

Winning three successive MVP awards would be an almost unprecedented achievement in the modern era of the NFL. Not since Brett Favre won three in a row, between 1995 and 1997, has there been such dominance of the award.

Aaron Rodgers will be acutely aware of this. He is motivated to prove the teams who didn’t draft him wrong. However, he isn’t going to have an easy ride after the Packers traded away his best receiving option.

With the season getting more intense, it's a good time to look at the players who are most likely to end up as MVP for this season. Here are five top contenders for the coveted title.

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#1 – Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers)

Rodgers knows exactly what is needed for an MVP season

Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been as prolific at quarterback in 2022 as he was in the previous two seasons. Yet!

He has thrown for 1,157 yards and eight touchdowns, so is already behind Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. However, he has had to adjust to a new-look offense and is lacking weapons.

Aaron Rodgers is the most naturally gifted QB in the NFL. He has the purest throwing motion and is the most accurate. To think he isn’t going to improve would be foolish.

They also have to play the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders - two of the worst teams in the NFL. This will undoubtedly bolster Aaron Rodgers’ stats and his confidence.

The Packers will then build a rhythm like they have in previous years and Rodgers will lead the post-season charge.

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#2 – Nick Chubb (Cleveland Browns)

Nick Chubb has been a steam train in the running game in 2022

For a running back to win the MVP award over a quarterback, they have to be absolutely outstanding.

Whether Nick Chubb’s numbers will be consistent enough to win the award remains to be seen, but his early-season pace is phenomenal.

In five games thus far, Chubb has rushed for 593 yards and scored seven rushing touchdowns. At this rate, the running back is set to hit 1,779 yards after 15 games. He would then, injury permitting, need just 221 yards in the final two regular-season games to hit the magic 2,000-yard milestone.

Obviously, it is unrealistic to expect Chubb to maintain this level of performance. However, the start he has made to the campaign shows precisely why he is in the MVP conversation after five weeks.

If he can even improve this season and reach 2,000 yards, there is no reason why he can’t be considered an MVP winner.

#3 – Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills)

Josh Allen has the perfect situation in Buffalo

The Buffalo Bills in 2022 are the definition of a strong franchise. They have been run well, built a strong roster, and are the best-balanced team in the NFL.

They have Josh Allen under center and he has carried on from precisely where he left off in the 2021 season.

His passes are beautiful to watch. He has a total connection with his offense and the team is living through a moment of serenity. All these factors combined make Allen’s life immeasurably easier.

After five weeks, he currently leads the NFL in passing yards with 1,651. That is a sizable 173 yards more than the next best QB, Justin Herbert. It is also 494 yards more than Aaron Rodgers has managed.

His passer rating of 107.4 is only bettered by Tua Tagovailoa, Patrick Mahomes, and Geno Smith, and right now, there isn’t a more complete player than Josh Allen.

He is the Aaron Rodgers of his generation. He is so smooth at what he does. His passing is very accurate and it is inevitable that an MVP award will arrive during his career. His start to the 2022 season suggests this could be sooner rather than later.

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#4 – Nick Bosa (San Francisco 49ers)

Defense wins championships but not awards. Can Nick Bosa buck that trend?

Similar to running backs, in order for a defensive player to take home the award, they need to be spectacular.

The odds are stacked against Nick Bosa. Since the launch of the award, there have been just two defenders who have won the MVP award: Alan Page in 1971 and Lawrence Taylor in 1986.

Is Bosa as good a player as Taylor? Probably not, but he has started the season in dominant fashion. The San Francisco 49ers edge rusher makes life a misery for quarterbacks and offensive linemen.

In the opening five games of the 2022 season, he has recorded six sacks. He has 12 total solo tackles, six tackles for loss, and 16 quarterback hits.

His individual success will require the Niners to vastly improve their record. He has to start winning them games on his own.

However, to this point, he has been the standout defensive player in the 2022 NFL season, and by some distance.

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#5 – Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs)

Patrick Mahomes is on course for one of his best seasons ever

Patrick Mahomes is so brilliant that it’s fair to say he doesn’t receive the plaudits his play warrants. People just expect him to be great.

However, Mahomes’ 2022 season has started impressively. He has thrown a league-leading 15 touchdown passes for 1,398 yards in his opening five games.

This form places him on course to throw 45 touchdowns by the 15th game of the Chiefs’ season. With two games to spare, he would then have a chance to equal his 2018 masterpiece where he threw 50 touchdowns in a single season.

The numbers Mahomes is putting up after five weeks are MVP worthy and they don’t get noticed because it’s Mahomes.

If he and the Chiefs keep rolling, it will be difficult for anyone to prevent the MVP award going to Mahomes for a second time rather than Aaron Rodgers for a fifth.