Has a Rookie Ever Won the NFL MVP?

It’s a question that has been asked for years, and with good reason. The NFL MVP is one of the most prestigious awards in all of football, and it’s usually reserved for the game’s best players. But every now and then, a rookie comes along and makes a big enough impact to earn MVP honors. So, has a rookie ever won the NFL MVP?

Tom Brady

In his first season as a starter, Brady led the Patriots to an 11–5 record and made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. He also threw for 2,843 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Won MVP in first season as starter

Tom Brady was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He did not start a game during his rookie season, but took over as the starter in 2001 after an injury to Drew Bledsoe. He led the Patriots to a victory in Super Bowl XXXVI that year, and was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player.

Won three Super Bowls in first four years

Tom Brady was the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL draft. That means he was the sixth quarterback chosen that year, and the seventh player at his position to come off the board in total. He was not chosen until the final round, and it is fair to say that few, if any, people envisioned him becoming one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history when he entered the league.

And yet, that is exactly what he has become. In his first four years as a starter, Brady won three Super Bowls, and he was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 2007. No other quarterback has ever won more than two Super Bowls in his first four seasons, and no other player has ever won an MVP award as a rookie or in his second season.

Won two more Super Bowls after that

Tom Brady earned his third Super Bowl MVP award in February of 2005, leading the Patriots to a 32-29 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX. The game was decided by a field goal as time expired, and Brady’s heroics helped cement his reputation as one of the greatest clutch performers in NFL history. Brady would go on to win two more Super Bowls with the Patriots, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

Peyton Manning

No one can argue that Peyton Manning wasn’t an incredible football player. He was the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft and went on to have one of the most successful careers in NFL history. So, it’s no surprise that he was named the NFL MVP in his rookie season.

Won MVP in second season

Peyton Manning, in his second season, threw for 3,739 yards and 26 touchdowns en route to a 13-3 regular season record for the Colts. He then proceeded to win MVP honors in Super Bowl XLI, leading Indianapolis to a 29-17 victory over the Chicago Bears.

Won Super Bowl in third season

Peyton Manning achieved something no other NFL quarterback has ever done when he was named the league’s Most Valuable Player in his third season. Not only was he the youngest player to win the award, but he became the first rookie to ever take home the hardware.

Manning’s breakout year came in 1998, his first season as the starter for the Indianapolis Colts. He threw for 3,739 yards and 26 touchdowns, leading the Colts to a 13-3 record and a division title. In the playoffs, Manning continued his torrid pace, throwing for two more touchdowns as the Colts won their first playoff game in over a decade.

However, it was in Super Bowl XXXVIII that Manning truly cemented his legacy. Going up against one of the best defenses in NFL history in the New England Patriots, Manning led his team to a come-from-behind 32-29 victory, capped off by a last-second field goal by Adam Vinatieri. For his efforts, Manning was named Super Bowl MVP, becoming just the second quarterback in NFL history to win both that award and the regular season MVP in the same year.

Won one more Super Bowl after that

In his final season, Manning would win Super Bowl 50, defeating the Carolina Panthers in what would be his last ever game. This made him the only quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl with two different teams, as well as the only player to start and win a Super Bowl in four different decades.

Kurt Warner

In 1999, Kurt Warner was the starting quarterback for the St. Louis Rams. He had been cut from two NFL teams and was working at a grocery store when he got the call to start for the Rams. He ended up leading the Rams to a Super Bowl win that year and was named NFL MVP.

Won MVP in first season as starter

In his first season as starter for the Rams, Warner helped lead the team to a then-record-setting 20–1 season and was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player, becoming only the second player in NFL history to win the MVP award in his first season as a starter (the other being Jim Plunkett of the Raiders).

Won Super Bowl in second season

Kurt Warner is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League(NFL) for twelve seasons. He played college football for the University of Northern Iowa and was signed by the Rams as an undrafted free agent in 1998. Warner went on to be considered the Greatest Show on Turf after leading the Rams to two Super Bowl appearances, winning one, and earning league MVP honors in 2001. He led the Arizona Cardinals to their only Super Bowl appearance in franchise history during the 2008 season. After retiring from playing football, Warner became a broadcaster and analyst.

Won one more Super Bowl after that

Kurt Warner is a former American football quarterback who played for the St. Louis Rams, New York Giants, and Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL). He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing college football at Northern Iowa. Warner went on to win the NFL’s Most Valuable Player Award in 1999 and 2001, and was a four-time Pro Bowl selection. He led the Rams to two Super Bowl victories (Super Bowl XXXIV and Super Bowl XXXVI), winning Super Bowl MVP honors in both games.

Other Rookies

There have been many other rookies who have had great seasons and have come close to winning the MVP, but haven’t quite gotten there. Some notable examples include Robert Griffin III, who won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2012, and Dak Prescott, who won the same award in 2016.

Russell Wilson

In 2012, Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson became the first NFL rookie to throw for more than 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns in a season. He also ran for 489 yards and scored five touchdowns on the ground. Wilson’s impressive production helped lead the Seahawks to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth. In 2013, Wilson threw for 26 touchdown passes and ran for 586 yards and one touchdown as the Seahawks won the NFC West with a 13-3 record. He was named to the Pro Bowl in both seasons.

Dak Prescott

Dak Prescott was taken in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Cowboys. He was not expected to do much, as he was seen as a backup to then-starter Tony Romo. But, fate had other plans for Prescott. Romo went down with an injury in the preseason, and Prescott was thrust into the starting role. The Cowboys never looked back, as they went on to have one of their best seasons in recent memory, winning 13 games and losing just 3. And, Prescott played a huge role in that success, as he threw for over 3,500 yards and 23 touchdowns while also rushing for 6 more scores. His play earned him Rookie of the Year honors, and he also received MVP votes following the season. So, yes, a rookie has indeed won the NFL MVP award before.

Ben Roethlisberger

In 2004, Ben Roethlisberger was the NFL Rookie of the Year and is still the only rookie quarterback to have ever won the Super Bowl. In his first season, he threw for 26 touchdowns with only 11 interceptions and had a QB rating of 98.1. The following year, his numbers dipped a bit but he still managed to lead the Steelers to another Super Bowl victory. In recent years, Roethlisberger has been plagued by injuries but when he’s on his game, he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league.