The National Football League (NFL) is one of the top four sports leagues in the United States along with the NBA, MLB, and the NHL. However, the NFL can be considered as probably the toughest and most demanding league amongst all the above. Therefore, becoming the most valuable player for the entirety of the exhausting regular season is, no doubt, a thing of pride.
Winning the NFL MVP is one of the hardest individual achievements among most of the awards the NFL hands out annually as it truly requires a herculean task to manage. To put this into context, just imagine going through 17 games in the regular season and performing at an elite level week in and week out against the highest level of competition the sport has to offer. Such types of feats require a special effort not just from a physical standpoint but from a mental standpoint as well.
The NFL MVP Award has been dominated completely by the offensive players and has generally become the quarterback’s award as they have swept it for the past decade. The last time it went to someone other than a quarterback was back in 2012 when former running back Adrian Peterson was awarded the trophy.
Other than that, the second-best position to capture this award has been the running back. No other position on the offense has been able to win it while on defense there have been only two instances when the Award has gone their way. Alan Page and Lawrence Taylor are the only two defenders to have won the NFL MVP Award. Surprisingly, the only other position to win this award was a placekicker when Mark Moseley won it in 1982.
The NFL MVP Award is handed out mainly by the Associated Press (AP) and the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). However, when the NFL Honors ceremony takes place, the NFL considers the award handed out by the AP.
List of AP NFL Most Valuable Player of the Year winners
| Season | Player | Position | Team |
| 1957 | Jim Brown | Running back | Cleveland Browns |
| 1958 | Jim Brown (2) | Running back | Cleveland Browns |
| 1959 | Johnny Unitas | Quarterback | Baltimore Colts |
| 1960 | Norm Van Brocklin | Quarterback | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1961 | Paul Hornung | Running back | Green Bay Packers |
| 1962 | Jim Taylor | Running back | Green Bay Packers |
| 1963 | Y. A. Tittle | Quarterback | New York Giants |
| 1964 | Johnny Unitas (2) | Quarterback | Baltimore Colts |
| 1965 | Jim Brown (3) | Running back | Cleveland Browns |
| 1966 | Bart Starr | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers |
| 1967 | Johnny Unitas (3) | Quarterback | Baltimore Colts |
| 1968 | Earl Morrall | Quarterback | Baltimore Colts |
| 1969 | Roman Gabriel | Quarterback | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1970 | John Brodie | Quarterback | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1971 | Alan Page | Defensive tackle | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1972 | Larry Brown | Running back | Washington Redskins |
| 1973 | O. J. Simpson | Running back | Buffalo Bills |
| 1974 | Ken Stabler | Quarterback | Oakland Raiders |
| 1975 | Fran Tarkenton | Quarterback | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1976 | Bert Jones | Quarterback | Baltimore Colts |
| 1977 | Walter Payton | Running back | Chicago Bears |
| 1978 | Terry Bradshaw | Quarterback | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1979 | Earl Campbell | Running back | Houston Oilers |
| 1980 | Brian Sipe | Quarterback | Cleveland Browns |
| 1981 | Ken Anderson | Quarterback | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1982 | Mark Moseley | Placekicker | Washington Redskins |
| 1983 | Joe Theismann | Quarterback | Washington Redskins |
| 1984 | Dan Marino | Quarterback | Miami Dolphins |
| 1985 | Marcus Allen | Running back | Los Angeles Raiders |
| 1986 | Lawrence Taylor | Linebacker | New York Giants |
| 1987 | John Elway | Quarterback | Denver Broncos |
| 1988 | Boomer Esiason | Quarterback | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1989 | Joe Montana | Quarterback | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1990 | Joe Montana (2) | Quarterback | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1991 | Thurman Thomas | Running back | Buffalo Bills |
| 1992 | Steve Young | Quarterback | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1993 | Emmitt Smith | Running back | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1994 | Steve Young (2) | Quarterback | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1995 | Brett Favre | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers |
| 1996 | Brett Favre (2) | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers |
| 1997 | Brett Favre (3) | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers |
| Barry Sanders | Running back | Detroit Lions | |
| 1998 | Terrell Davis | Running back | Denver Broncos |
| 1999 | Kurt Warner | Quarterback | St. Louis Rams |
| 2000 | Marshall Faulk | Running back | St. Louis Rams |
| 2001 | Kurt Warner (2) | Quarterback | St. Louis Rams |
| 2002 | Rich Gannon | Quarterback | Oakland Raiders |
| 2003 | Peyton Manning | Quarterback | Indianapolis Colts |
| Steve McNair | Tennessee Titans | ||
| 2004 | Peyton Manning (2) | Quarterback | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2005 | Shaun Alexander | Running back | Seattle Seahawks |
| 2006 | LaDainian Tomlinson | Running back | San Diego Chargers |
| 2007 | Tom Brady | Quarterback | New England Patriots |
| 2008 | Peyton Manning (3) | Quarterback | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2009 | Peyton Manning (4) | Quarterback | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2010 | Tom Brady (2) | Quarterback | New England Patriots |
| 2011 | Aaron Rodgers | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers |
| 2012 | Adrian Peterson | Running back | Minnesota Vikings |
| 2013 | Peyton Manning (5) | Quarterback | Denver Broncos |
| 2014 | Aaron Rodgers (2) | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers |
| 2015 | Cam Newton | Quarterback | Carolina Panthers |
| 2016 | Matt Ryan | Quarterback | Atlanta Falcons |
| 2017 | Tom Brady (3) | Quarterback | New England Patriots |
| 2018 | Patrick Mahomes | Quarterback | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2019 | Lamar Jackson | Quarterback | Baltimore Ravens |
| 2020 | Aaron Rodgers (3) | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers |
| 2021 | Aaron Rodgers (4) | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers |
| 2022 | Patrick Mahomes (2) | Quarterback | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2023 | Lamar Jackson (2) | Quarterback | Baltimore Ravens |
FAQs
A. The 2023 NFL MVP Award went to the Baltimore Ravens quarterback, Lamar Jackson.
A. Only twice in the history of the AP NFL MVP awards have defenders won it. Alan Page won the first time in 1971 and Lawrence Taylor won it in 1986.
A. Peyton Manning has the most NFL MVP Awards of any player with 5 to his name.
A. A total of 18 running backs have won the NFL MVP Award since its inception in 1957.
A. The most NFL MVP Awards by team goes to the Green Bay Packers, who have 10 wins.
