Will Aaron Rodgers' fractured toe cost him 2021 NFL MVP award?

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers fractured his toe in November of the 2021 NFL season. He didn't miss any games because of it, as he was able to play through the pain for the large majority of the second half of the season. At the conclusion of the regular season, Rodgers said it still bothers him, as it has for most of the year.

The defending 2020 NFL MVP award winner and three-time overall winner, Aaron Rodgers, has been one of the favorites to win again in the 2021 season. He is seeking his fourth NFL MVP award, which would give him sole possession of second place all time and move just one behind Peyton Manning, the NFL's all-time leader. Could his toe injury prevent him from getting there?

Aaron Rodgers is a shoo-in for 2021 NFL MVP award despite a nagging toe injury.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers

Despite Rodgers' claims that the toe injury has been bothering him for the majority of the season, it hasn't really affected his play. Rodgers had one slow game on November 14th against the Seattle Seahawks, his first game since the apparent injury. He didn't record a touchdown in that game and threw one interception, but the Green Bay Packers still won 17-0.

From that point onward, Rodgers has statistically dominated. In the final seven games of the 2021 NFL season following the "off day" against the Seahawks, he recorded 20 touchdown passes and zero interceptions. This included a scorching pace over his last five games, where he completed 75 percent of his passes with 14 touchdowns.

A strong case can be made that Aaron Rodgers has been better since the toe injury than he was prior to it. Three of his four interceptions this season occurred before the injury. He played three games in which he completed fewer than 60 percent of his passes, all of which were once again prior to the toe injury.

In total, Rodgers finished the 2021 NFL season completing 69 percent of his passes and throwing 37 touchdowns against just four interceptions. He has a 111.9 passer rating and 68.8 QBR, both of which are the highest in the NFL. He helped the Green Bay Packers to a 13-4 record, the best of any team in the league. Despite dealing with a fractured toe, Rodgers is the top favorite to win the 2021 NFL MVP award.