A few weeks ago, the MVP conversation felt over, at least close to over. It was going to be either Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs or Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles and that was that. Joe Burrow, however, deserves to seriously be a part of the conversation.
As of this writing, FanDuel has given Burrow the third-best odds to win the title at +1000, trailing the aforementioned Hurts (-180) and Mahomes (+200). Mahomes felt like the frontrunner for much of the season but after throwing three interceptions that nearly helped the Broncos come back and win while Hurts continued to dazzle, it makes sense that Hurts is the frontrunner now.
Burrow at +1000 is disrespectful though. Yes, Burrow started the season on a rough note, but he's been nails ever since. He's thrown for 3,685 yards, 27 touchdowns, and nine interceptions this year but four of those interceptions came in the first week of the season, meaning he's tossed just five in the following 12 games.
Why isn't Joe Burrow getting more respect in the MVP conversation?
Look, Hurts and Mahomes have both been impressive this year and there's no debating that. Hurts came out of nowhere as it appeared the Eagles weren't even certain that he was their guy for the foreseeable future while Mahomes is arguably the best quarterback in the league right now.
Burrow, however, is winning games against tough teams and he's doing it in impressive fashion. Against the gauntlet of a schedule thrown at him beginning in Week 12, he's gone 3-0 and thrown for five touchdowns to just one interception. His team is continuing their red-hot ways and he's playing a major part in that.
If I had to guess right now, I'd say Hurts probably wins MVP because he's the more fun story and the Eagles are the bigger brand. Hurts would be deserving, of course, having thrown for 3,157 yards, 22 touchdowns, and only three interceptions while rushing for 686 yards and 10 more touchdowns on the ground. What Hurts has done is impressive but he hasn't had the difficult schedule that Burrow has.
Joe Burrow probably doesn't go on to win MVP but maybe that's a good thing. The last player to win MVP and a Super Bowl was Kurt Warner in 1999.
All stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference
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