NFL MVP award: Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, and 3 other favorites to win the prize

Of all the NFL Awards, the most coveted by far is the MVP honor.

Even though MVP stands for Most Valuable Player, this award is usually given to the best player of the NFL season. It's not like the value part isn't important, because only quarterbacks have won the award since 2013, and with the NFL becoming more of a passing league in the last decade, there's nothing to suggest that this will change in the short term.

On that note, let's take a look at the five biggest favorites to win the MVP award for the 2021 season.

Patrick Mahomes, QB

Last season, Mahomes got really close to winning the award for the second time in three years, but ultimately he was beaten by Aaron Rodgers over the last few weeks of the season.

With a reinforced offensive line and coming back with vengeance following the worst loss of his career in the Super Bowl, watch out for Mahomes reaching unknown levels to mankind during the regular season. Especially with competition within the AFC West, with Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers looking to make a statement.

Mahomes is the biggest early favorite to win the MVP award for the 2021 season, with Hill, Kelce and great pass protection.

Washington Redskins v Dallas Cowboys

Dak Prescott, QB

Dak was on pace to throw for more than 6000 yards last season before he suffered a serious ankle injury that left him missing the remainder of the season.

Now healthy, he'll be back with a healthy offensive line as well, and if his defense helps win games, his case for the MVP award will get even stronger. The receiver trio of Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup will help Prescott surpass 5000 passing yards and compete for the prize.

Josh Allen, QB

Is 2021 the year where Josh Allen finally wins his first MVP award? Like Mahomes, he got really close in 2020, but lost to Aaron Rodgers.

Now with an extended contract and an even better receiving group following the addition of Emmanuel Sanders, surpassing 5000 yards should be an easy task for a healthy Allen. If he manages to keep the same level he played at in 2020, plus the Bills repeating the AFC East title, look for Allen to finally become the second quarterback from the 2018 draft class to be the NFL's MVP.

Josh Allen’s opening drive:10/1190 Yards1 TDA near-perfect start to his 2021 preseason finale, followed by "MVP" chants from fans.(via @BuffaloBills)pic.twitter.com/TaerxuQBFg

— NFLonCBS (@NFLonCBS) August 28, 2021

Aaron Rodgers, QB

After an offseason filled with drama about whether or not he'd return to the Green Bay Packers in 2021, Rodgers is set to make a run for the MVP award once again.

His level of play last season was the best we had all seen him play since the first half of the last decade, and if anything, his receiving core only got stronger with the addition of Randall Cobb. Plus, more experience for Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling will only help those two grow.

If Rodgers somehow manages to keep his unreal level from 2020, he will be an MVP candidate once again.

Matthew Stafford, QB

Stafford will play behind a strong offensive line, with a great receiving core composed of Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and DeSean Jackson, and the offense will be designed by Sean McVay. Talk about a strong case for an early MVP favorite.

There’s a wave of excitement surrounding QB Matthew Stafford and what could go right for the Rams this year. Mistakes happen. In football, they always do. But it’s what Stafford does when things go WRONG that may hold an impact when it counts: https://t.co/XVah7nKBSo

— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) September 2, 2021

The biggest problem with Jared Goff's tenure with the Rams was that he wasn't able to take the deep chances the defense provided. Stafford has one of the strongest arms in NFL history and he's always willing to throw deep, so that's not going to be a problem. If everything goes as expected, the new Rams quarterback is a strong candidate to make a run for the MVP award.