There’s a new leader in the doghouse: New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has overtaken his peers to become the favorite in Most Valuable Player voting, per Bovada. The shift in odds was first reported by Larry Holder of the Athletic:
Hopefully this will stick. The also-rans up there behind Brees are in a three-way tie between New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, and Los Angeles Rams Jared Goff and Todd Gurley. Kansas City Chiefs passer Patrick Mahomes was the popular front-runner early in the season, but a two-interception game against the Patriots on Sunday Night Football last week knocked his odds.
Brees is one of the last great quarterbacks remaining to not receive an MVP award. His divisional rivals Cam Newton and Matt Ryan, each of whom lost Super Bowls in heartbreaking, memorable fashion, have that piece of hardware. Even this year, Brees is the last man standing to have not turned the ball over this far into the season – knock on wood quickly, in case that jinxes him against the Baltimore Ravens.
If Brees and the Saints stay the course and win one of the top two seeds in the NFC, there’s a real chance that he gets a “lifetime achievement” nod for the MVP, kind of like Kobe Bryant did on his way out of the NBA. Of course, we’d all rather see Brees win Super Bowl MVP than regular season MVP. But why not both?