Patrick Mahomes vs Jalen Hurts MVP debate settled by ex-NFL HC Mike Smith

There can be no debate that the two best quarterbacks in the NFL this season have been Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs and Jalen Hurts of the Phialdelphia Eagles. They led their respective team to the best regular-season record and now face off in the Super Bowl.

If there's one debate remaining, it is which of the two quarterbacks wins the MVP this season. Jalen Hurts looked like the favorite for much of the season due to his dual-threat before getting injured, while Mahomes led the league in passing yards and touchdowns.

Thankfully, we have had former NFL coach Mike Smith on hand to settle the debate. He agrees that Jalen Hurts' rushing ability, something more prevalent in college football, has shaken up the NFL. However, he would still put Mahomes' ability to create something out of nothing as special.

Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda's "The BallFather Podcast", he said:

"Well, this is a discussion that's been going on for a while. Both of them are probably the top two finalists for the MVP award. I don't think there's any doubt about that. There are a lot of similarities. They're both very athletic, they can run and throw the football very effectively. I think in the Kansas City setup, there are more off-script runs from Mahomes.

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Patrick Mahomes wins MVP over Jalen Hurts because of Andy Reid - Mike Smith

As the winningest coach in Atlanta Falcons history who gave Matt Ryan his chance to shine, Smith knows something about coaches leading players to greatness. He said about Hurts:

"Jalen Hurts is an integral part of the running game with the option to run it, or throw it. And that's something that has been very prevalent in college football and has become more prevalent in the NFL. Hurts has had a great year. If he doesn't miss a couple of games with that injury, he probably wins MVP. But you know, Mahomes, he's different. He can really create, and they give him that freedom."

Smith believes Mahomes' greatness comes down to Andy Reid:

"It really transfers down from what Andy Reid does. I mean, the things that Andy does put together in a game plan, and how they always come up with two or three things that are off the book. They'll show up. And, you know, he lets them go off script. They're very, very good at that, and Kelce is well his security blanket."

He also pointed out that having a tight end like Travis Kelce, one of the best in history, allows for that security blanket to create plays outside the box.