The NFL offseason is the time of the year people spend anticipating the upcoming season and making bold predictions on what will happen when the season starts. Sometimes, the predictions come through, and other times, they are not even close. Going by the recent NFL odds, Green Bay’s quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew luck are the favorites to win the MVP award next season, followed by Minnesota’s running back Adrian Peterson and Houston’s J.J. Watt. At 12-1, Peterson might seem like a good pick to win the MVP, but you have to consider a few things before betting on him to win.
At age 30, Peterson led the league in rushing yards, after missing all but one game the previous year due to suspension. Peterson will have a chance to win the award because he is playing in an offense that is built around him. The Vikings also made the playoffs last year and improved the team in the offseason, so picking Peterson seems to make a lot of sense. However, Peterson will turn 31 this season and running backs usually start to decline at this point in their careers, which makes him a risky pick to win the MVP award.
J.J. Watt has been a beast since he entered the NFL, and his three Defensive Player of the Year awards back that up. However, the MVP award typically goes to an offensive player, unless a defensive player not only puts up big numbers, but also helps his team win a lot of games. Unfortunately for Watt, he plays for the Houston Texans, who aren’t expected to do much this season because of the uncertainty at the quarterback and running back positions. His odds of winning the MVP award is 12-1. Andrew Luck’s odds of winning the MVP award is currently 7-1, which is surprising considering just how bad he was last season. According to reports, Luck’s injuries had a major effect on how he played last season, and now that he is fully healed, NFL insiders are expecting a big season from him.
Before last season, Luck was considered one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL despite playing only three seasons. The Colts were favored to make the Super Bowl in the AFC, but the injuries derailed those plans. However, even if Luck is healthy, the Colts still haven’t addressed the issues they have with their offensive line, and if the line doesn’t play better than it did last year, Luck won’t be putting up big numbers and won’t win the MVP award.
At 5-1, Aaron Rodgers has the best odds of winning the MVP award, and is the one player on the list we think will most likely win it. Rodgers, who won the award in 2014, couldn’t win it last year because he lost his best receiver before the season started, and his second best receiver was dealing with injuries all season long, limiting his production. Green Bay’s running game also wasn’t as good as it had been in previous years, which forced the team to throw the ball a lot more. This season, Rodgers will have a healthy Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb to work with, and a chip on his shoulder after missing out on the Super Bowl again, which is why he is the safest MVP pick to make.