5 non-quarterbacks who could win NFL MVP in 2022
The NFL MVP award is an award every single player in the league goes into every year striving to win. The MVP vote has been dominated by quarterbacks in recent campaigns. Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson took home the award in recent years. In fact, the last time a non-quarterback won the award was running back Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings back in 2012.
Many NFL fans argued that in 2021, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp was unlucky not to win the award. He had an astounding season where he led the league in receiving yards (1,947), receptions (145) and touchdowns (16). Kupp’s season was an outlier, but plenty of stars across the league have the ability to match those numbers and end the monopoly of quarterbacks winning the MVP award.
Here are five non-quarterbacks that have a shot at the MVP award this season:
#5 - Ja’Marr Chase
The Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver burst onto the NFL scene in 2021, going for 1,823 total yards (including playoffs), which is a league record for a rookie. Chase instantly clicked with former LSU teammate Joe Burrow, and the pair led the Bengals all the way to the Super Bowl.
If Chase’s rookie campaign is anything to go by, he could easily better that number in 2022, with a full year of experience behind him. Burrow will continue to give the ball to his favourite weapon, and it would be no surprise if he was in the MVP talk at the end of the year.
#4 - Derrick Henry
Many NFL fans seemed to forget about Derrick Henry after he went down injured after eight games of the 2021 NFL season. However, it was looking to be a historic one for the Tennessee Titans running back. He had already clocked up 937 yards and 10 touchdowns in just eight starts. He looked likely to top his excellent 2020 season, where he had 2,027 rushing yards. In that campaign, he became the eighth player in NFL history to break 2,000 rushing yards.
If Henry can fully recover from his injury, there’s no reason why he can’t reach his video-game numbers from 2020, and place himself firmly in the MVP race.
Entering Week 13, Derrick Henry ranks second in the NFL in rushing yards.
He hasn’t played since Week 8. https://t.co/7EOGFCUYwM