Who Was The 2021 NFL MVP?

The 2021 NFL MVP was decided by a panel of 50 voters, with each voter submitting a ranked list of their top 10 players.

The player who received the most votes was Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was named the 2021 NFL MVP for the third time in his career.

Tom Brady

Tom Brady is the most dominant player in NFL history. He has played in 10 Super Bowls, winning seven of them. He has been named the Super Bowl MVP four times. He is the only player to ever be named the NFL MVP and the Super Bowl MVP in the same season.

Background

Tom Brady was born on August 3, 1977, in San Mateo, California. He played quarterback for the University of Michigan and was drafted by the New England Patriots in 2000. He became the starting quarterback in 2001 and led the team to five Super Bowl victories (2002, 2004, 2005, 2015, 2017). He is widely considered one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Brady was named NFL MVP three times (2007, 2010, 2017) and Super Bowl MVP four times (2002, 2004, 2015, 2017). He retired from the Patriots in 2020 and joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the following year. In 2021, he led the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Stats

Brady threw for 40 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in the regular season. Brady completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 4,577 yards and averaged 8.3 yards per attempt.

Why he should be the MVP

Tom Brady turned in another stellar performance in 2020, leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to their first Super Bowl win since 2002. Brady completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 4,633 yards and 40 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions. He also rushed for five touchdowns.

At 43 years old, Brady is showing no signs of slowing down and continues to defy Father Time. For his efforts, he was named the 2020 NFL MVP by the Associated Press (AP), becoming the oldest player to ever win the award.

Aaron Rodgers

The 2021 NFL MVP was announced on Saturday and the award went to Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers was a unanimous choice for the award, becoming the third player in NFL history to be named MVP unanimously. He joins Tom Brady and Peyton Manning as the only players to receive the honor.

Background

Aaron Rodgers was born in Chico, California, on December 2, 1983. He is the son of former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Ed Rodgers and Darla Leigh (née Pitts) Rodgers. His parents divorced when he was a young child, and he was raised by his father and stepmother, Diane Rogers. They moved often during Rodgers’ childhood because of his father’s job as a regional manager for the Hyatt hotel chain. When Rodgers was 14 years old, Diane died of breast cancer.

Stats

In 2021, Rodgers had 4,299 passing yards, 48 touchdown passes, and five interceptions. He also rushed for 269 yards and three touchdowns. His passer rating was 121.5.

Why he should be the MVP

On January 3rd, 2021, in the NFC Wild Card game, the Green Bay Packers hosted the Los Angeles Rams. This was a rematch of their controversial regular season matchup in which the Packers were on the short end of a blown call that took away a game-winning touchdown catch by wide receiver Davante Adams.

In the Wild Card game, Rodgers exacted some revenge, leading the Packers to a 32-18 victory over the Rams. He completed 23 of 36 passes for296 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions. It was a vintage performance by Rodgers, who has now led the Packers to nine straight wins dating back to last season.

With that victory, Rodgers has cemented his case as not only the best quarterback in the NFL, but also as its Most Valuable Player for 2020. There is no doubt that he is deserving of the award, as he has been among the league’s best players all season long.

Through 16 games, Rodgers has thrown for 4,299 yards and 48 touchdowns with just five interceptions. His 106.4 passer rating is the second-best mark of his career, trailing only his 2011 MVP season (122.5). He has also rushed for three touchdowns.

Rodgers’ 48 touchdown passes are tied for second-most in a single season in NFL history behind only Peyton Manning’s 55 in 2013. His 43 passing TDs are also tied for 11th-most in a single season all-time. His five interception total is tied for fifth-fewest among quarterbacks with at least 400 passing attempts this season (400 is considered a full season’s worth of attempts).

Derrick Henry

Derrick Henry is an American football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, and was drafted in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Titans. In 2020, Henry became the eighth running back in NFL history to lead the league in rushing yards in consecutive seasons.

Background

Derrick Henry (born January 4, 1994) is an American football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, and was drafted in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Titans.

In his rookie season, he set franchise records for rushing yards (122) and touchdowns (5).[1] He helped lead the Titans to a 9-7 record and a Wild Card berth in his first year. The following season, he was named to his first Pro Bowl after leading the league in rushing yards with 1,059. In 2018, he again led the league in rushing yards (1,124) and touchdowns (12), and was named Offensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press.[2] He helped lead the Titans to an AFC Championship Game appearance that year.

In 2019, Henry became just the fifth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season.[3] He won NFL Offensive Player of the Year for his record-breaking campaign.[4] In 2020, he was once again named to the Pro Bowl after rushing for 1,540 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Stats

In 2021, Derrick Henry led the NFL in rushing yards (2,027) and rushing touchdowns (17). He also had 500 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. This was Henry’s best season yet and he was named the NFL MVP.

Why he should be the MVP

Derrick Henry had another stellar season in 2020, leading the NFL in rushing yards (2,027) and rushing touchdowns (17). He also caught 37 passes for 403 yards and four touchdowns. Henry did all of this while splitting carries with Dion Lewis and playing behind an offensive line that wasn’t at full strength for much of the season.

The Titans offense ran through Henry in 2020, and he came through time and time again. He had eight games with at least 100 rushing yards, including six games with at least 150 rushing yards. He also had three games with at least 200 rushing yards, which is tied for the most 200-yard games in a single season in NFL history.

With Henry leading the way, the Titans offense was one of the best in the NFL in 2020. They ranked fourth in total offense (397.8 YPG), fifth in scoring (29.7 PPG), and sixth in rushing offense (137.8 YPG).

The bottom line is that Derrick Henry is the best running back in the NFL right now, and he should be recognized as such with the 2021 NFL MVP award.

Russell Wilson

The NFL MVP this year was Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks. He led his team to a 13-3 record and was the driving force behind their success. He threw for 4,219 yards and 37 touchdowns, and also ran for 586 yards and three touchdowns. He was a big reason why the Seahawks were one of the best teams in the NFL this season.

Background

Russell Wilson was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on November 29, 1988. He was a highly touted quarterback in high school and led his team to the state championship game as a senior. Wilson chose to play college football at North Carolina State University. He had a successful career with the Wolfpack, setting several school passing records. After his junior year, he decided to forgo his senior season and declare himself eligible for the NFL Draft.

Wilson was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He became the Seahawks’ starting quarterback midway through his rookie season and helped lead the team to an NFC Championship Game appearance. In 2013, he was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year. Wilson has led the Seahawks to six playoff appearances and one Super Bowl victory (XLVIII). He was named the NFL MVP in 2014 and has been selected to seven Pro Bowls.

Stats

Russell Wilson had another incredible season in 2020, leading the Seahawks to a 12-4 record and a playoff berth. He threw for 4,212 yards and 42 touchdowns, both career highs, while also rushing for 586 yards and three touchdowns. His touchdown total was good for second in the NFL behind only Patrick Mahomes, and his passer rating of 119.2 was the third-best single-season mark in NFL history. Wilson also became the first player in NFL history with a perfect passer rating (158.3) in a game with at least 30 passing attempts, thanks to his performance against the Buffalo Bills in Week 9.

Why he should be the MVP

Wilson had one of the best statistical seasons in NFL history, leading the Seahawks to an NFC-best 12-4 record. He completed 72.8 percent of his passes for 4,212 yards and a league-high 34 touchdowns with just 11 interceptions. He also rushed for 513 yards and three touchdowns.

Josh Allen

Josh Allen was the 2021 NFL MVP. He is a quarterback for the Buffalo Bills.

Background

Josh Allen was born on May 21, 1996, in Firebaugh, California. He was the eldest of three children born to LaVonne and Joel Allen. LaVonne was a high school teacher, and Joel worked in construction. Josh Allen’s parents divorced when he was five years old, and he went to live with his grandparents, Martha and James Hinthorne. James had served in the US Army during World War II and later worked as a correctional officer. Martha was a homemaker. Josh Allen credits his grandparents for instilling in him the importance of hard work and determination.

Josh Allen began playing football in elementary school and continued to play throughout his time at Firebaugh High School. He was also a member of the school’s track team, where he competed in shot put and discus throw. After graduating from high school in 2014, Josh Allen attended Reedley College, where he played quarterback for the Tigers’ football team. In 2015, he transferred to the University of Wyoming, where he played for the Cowboys’ football team.

During his time at Wyoming, Josh Allen earned several accolades, including being named the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year (2016) and being named a consensus All-American (2017). He also set several school records, including most passing yards in a season (3 430) and most passing touchdowns in a career (44).

In January 2018, Josh Allen announced that he would forego his senior year at Wyoming and enter the 2018 NFL Draft. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the draft.

Stats

Josh Allen’s 2021 stats –
-4,544 passing yards
-37 passing touchdowns
-10 interceptions
-ionic completion percentage
-7.8 yards per attempt

Why he should be the MVP

Josh Allen had a breakout season in 2020, his third in the NFL. The Bills quarterback led his team to their first AFC East title since 1995 and their first playoff berth since 1999. He also set career highs in passing yards (4,544), touchdowns (37), and completion percentage (69.2%). For his efforts, Allen was named a Pro Bowl starter and was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Year by the NFL Players Association (NFLPA).

With that said, there are several reasons why Josh Allen should be the 2021 NFL MVP. First, he is the cornerstone of the Bills offense. Second, he is one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the league. Third, he has been clutch in big moments. And fourth, he has elevate those around him.

While there are other deserving candidates for MVP, Josh Allen has been the most valuable player to his team this season and should be recognized as such with the award.