Who Was MVP of the NFL in 2021?
Cam Newton was named the 2021 NFL MVP!
Tom Brady
While many NFL fans would say that Patrick Mahomes deserved to be MVP in 2021, the award ultimately went to Tom Brady. Brady had a huge season, leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to their first Super Bowl win in over a decade. Let’s take a look at Brady’s stats and see why he was the MVP.
Brady’s regular season stats
In the regular season, Brady completed 380 of 628 passes (60.8%) for 4,577 yards, with 40 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. He also ran for two touchdowns.
Brady’s playoff stats
In the playoffs, Brady has an NFL record 27–10 record as a starter, and has thrown for 70 touchdown passes, which is second only to Brett Favre. He has also appeared in ten Super Bowls, winning seven of them, the most of any player in NFL history. Brady’s playoff success has earned him the nicknames “Mr. January” and “Tom Terrific”.
Russell Wilson
Wilson was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He has led the Seahawks to eight playoff appearances, five NFC West division titles, and a Super Bowl appearance. Wilson has been named to eight Pro Bowls and named NFL MVP in 2021.
Wilson’s regular season stats
NFL regular season MVP for 2021 goes to…Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks! Wilson led the league in touchdown passes (48) and had the second-highest passer rating (119.2) while also rushing for career-highs in attempts (122) and yards (585).
Wilson’s playoff stats
In the playoffs, Wilson has a career record of 10–6. His playoff stats include 2,527 yards passing, 22 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. He also has two rushing touchdowns. In the 2015 NFC Wild Card game against the Minnesota Vikings, he threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception, as the Seahawks rallied from a 10-point deficit to win by a score of 31–17. This was his first ever road playoff win. In the divisional round against the Carolina Panthers, he threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns in a 31–17 victory. In the NFC Championship game against the Green Bay Packers, he completed 14 of 29 passes for 209 yards and two interceptions as the Seahawks lost 28–22 in overtime.
Aaron Rodgers
It’s hard to deny that quarterback Aaron Rodgers had an incredible season in 2021. He led the league in touchdown passes, completed over 70% of his passes, and had a quarterback rating of over 100. He was also named the Offensive Player of the Year. There’s no doubt that he was the most valuable player in the NFL this season.
Rodgers’ regular season stats
In the 2021 regular season, Rodgers completed 70.7 percent of his passes for 4,299 yards and 48 touchdowns with five interceptions. He also rushed for four touchdowns. Those numbers led to a 121.5 passer rating, which was the second-best single-season mark in NFL history behind only his 122.5 rating in 2011.
Rodgers’ playoff stats
In addition to his regular season MVP, Rodgers was named MVP of the NFC Championship game after completing 25 of 31 passes for 266 yards and three touchdowns in the Packers’ 48-21 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also ran for a touchdown. It was the second time he had been named MVP of a conference championship game, as he won the award in 2010 when the Packers defeated the Falcons en route to winning Super Bowl XLV.
Patrick Mahomes
The 2021 NFL MVP was awarded to Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. Mahomes had an incredible season, leading the Chiefs to a Super Bowl victory. He was also named Super Bowl MVP.
Mahomes’ regular season stats
In 2021, Mahomes threw for 5,097 yards and 48 touchdowns, with only six interceptions. He also ran for another 789 yards and 12 touchdowns. His completion percentage was a career-high 68.8%, and he posted a 112.2 passer rating, the second-best mark of his career.
Mahomes’ playoff stats
Including the playoffs, Mahomes has 10,728 passing yards, 86 passing touchdowns, and 13 interceptions in his career. He also has 1,039 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns.
Derrick Henry
Derrick Henry had a breakout season in 2020, leading the NFL in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. He was a big reason why the Titans made the playoffs and he continued his strong play in the postseason. As a result, he was named the MVP of the NFL in 2021.
Henry’s regular season stats
In the 2020 regular season, Henry helped lead the Titans to a 11–5 record and their second consecutive AFC South divisional title. He finished the season as the NFL’s rushing leader for the second year in a row with 2,027 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns, becoming only the eighth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in consecutive seasons. He was also ranked second in the league with 5.8 yards per carry. Henry’s rushing yardage total was the fourth highest single-season total in NFL history, trailing only Eric Dickerson (2,105 yards in 1984), Adrian Peterson (2,097 yards in 2012) and Jamal Lewis (2,066 yards in 2003). In addition to his rushing statistics, Henry also caught 37 passes for 403 yards and four touchdowns.
Henry’s playoff stats
Playoff stats: In four career playoff games, Henry has rushed for 610 yards and four touchdowns on 128 carries (4.8 YPC), adding seven catches for 47 yards and a score.
Conclusion
Yates was the most valuable player in the NFL in 2021.
