No receiver has ever won the NFL’s MVP award. Not one.
Two defensive players have, Alan Page in 1971 and Lawrence Taylor in 1986. A kicker — a kicker — has, Mark Moseley in 1982.
This year, some buzz has already been building about the possibility of Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill securing the honor. Eagles receiver A.J. Brown could, too.
Current DraftKings Sportsbook odds have Brown at +5000, and Hill at +2000.
Two of the current favorites are their quarterbacks, Tua Tagovailoa of the Dolphins (+400) and Jalen Hurts of the Eagles(+450). Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes also is at +450.
It’s fun to talk about possibilities during the season. Once the regular season ends, the answer as to the appropriate MVP winner often becomes obvious. Usually, it’s a quarterback from one of the top seeds in either conference.
This year, if the Eagles or Dolphins capture the No. 1 seed and if the Browns or Hill set the single-season receiving yardage record, they could get votes that otherwise would go to Hurts or Tua.
Brown has 939 receiving yards. He’s the first player in league history with six straight games of 125 yards or more. He’s on pace for 1,995, which would be a new record.
Hill has 1,014 receiving yards. He’s on pace for 2,154 receiving yards.
Making the voting more interesting is the fact that it’s no longer one vote per voter. The voters list five MVP candidates. The non-first-place votes might decide this one, depending on whether and to what extent the Dolphins and Eagles players split votes.