“Josh Allen’s to lose” – Shannon Sharpe claims Bills star is NFL MVP frontrunner despite Jalen Hurts’ heroics
It's just about midway through the 2022 NFL season and the MVP race is heating up. The reigning MVP, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, is having an uncharacteristically bad season. This leaves the door wide open for a new MVP candidate to enter the conversation.
On FOX's 'Undisputed', NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe said that he believes the award is Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen's to lose at this point.
Sharpe said that he saw how well Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts played on Thursday night in a win against the Houston Texans. But what Allen has done has him at the top of the list, even ahead of Hurts.
Sharpe added that for Allen to go into Baltimore and Kansas City, on the road, and defeat Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes, is a proof of just how good he has been this season.
"I think Jalen Hurts is having a phenomenal season, I thought he played well last night. I thought he did some good things last night. There are some concerns that we'll talk about later that I saw with the Eagles for the first time. I saw some things that I didn't like.
"Right now, I think this is Josh Allen's award to lose, doing what he did, the game-winning to drive to come back against the Baltimore Ravens and the Kansas City Chiefs. I think that puts him ahead because we see how well Patrick Mahomes has played and we see how well Lamar Jackson's playing and he went to those guys' homes and beat both of those guys."
"The MVP is Josh Allen’s award to lose. At the end of the of the day, it’s about numbers."
— @ShannonSharpe https://t.co/6zHbpIxfFc
Who is in the running for NFL MVP 2022?
It appears that most NFL analysts have Josh Allen at the top of their list for NFL MVP this season. And rightfully so. Allen and the Buffalo Bills are 6-1 so far this season.
Through the first seven games of the season for the Bills, Allen has thrown for 2,198 passing yards and 19 passing touchdowns along with two rushing touchdowns. Allen's passes average over eight yards per catch. Allen has been the most clutch player so far this season.
Also in the running for MVP would be Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The 27-year-old has already won an MVP award and could be in the running for another this season if Allen were to falter at some point.
Mahomes has thrown for 2,159 passing yards and 20 touchdowns through seven games and is also averaging about eight yards per catch. Mahomes continues to change the game as he makes plays and passes look easy.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who is currently playing on a contract year, could definitely be a candidate for the coveted award. Jackson is coming off a win against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Thursday night.
Jackson's numbers won't stick out on a page compared to the other quarterbacks in the running. He has only thrown 1,635 passing yards but has thrown an impressive 15 touchdown passes through eight games. Which is just one shy of the number he threw in the entire 2021 NFL season.
Jackson also has 553 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns and is likely earning himself a mega deal this offseason.
Can Jalen Hurts really win NFL MVP in 2022? trib.al/zg6DAj5
Rounding out the top four would be Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. While he and the Eagles remain the only undefeated team in the league, the strength of schedule may be the only thing that holds Hurts back from an MVP award.
The NFC East is one of the most competitive divisions in the National Football League and the Eagles have only played the Dallas Cowboys once. That game was without quarterback Dak Prescott and they still have to play the New York Giants twice this season.