When is NFL MVP voting? All you need to know
From the moment the NFL season kicks off in Week 1, fans and media members start declaring their favorites and front-runners to win the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
The predictions and prognostications won't let up until the day that the MVP award is announced, typically about five months after the season opener.
Who actually decides which player wins NFL MVP? When is the voting held? Here's is all you need to know about the process involved in picking the NFL's highest individual award each season.
When is the NFL MVP voting?
Voting for the NFL's MVP award takes place between the end of the regular season and the beginning of the playoffs. There is typically a one-week period in which voters have time to cast their votes and submit their ballots to be tallied.
In this 2020 NFL season, the final week of the regular season concludes on Sunday, Jan. 3. The first round of the playoffs will begin on Saturday, Jan. 9.
By the time the playoffs begin, MVP voting will have concluded, although the award winner won't be announced until almost a month later.
Who votes for the NFL MVP?
The NFL MVP award is distributed by the Associated Press. A panel of 50 sportswriters who cover the NFL on a full-time basis is selected by the Associated Press, and those 50 writers are the ones responsible for voting for MVP.
In some other pro sports leagues (and for the Heisman Trophy in college football), voters choose a first-place, second-place, third-place, etc., finisher and their votes are included in a score to determine the winner. The NFL MVP voting process is simpler; a basic one-voter, one-vote system.
Each of the 50 MVP voters chooses the one player they think should be MVP, and the player with the most votes out of 50 wins the award.
In 2019, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was unanimously voted MVP, receiving all 50 votes.
When do they announce NFL MVP?
For the last nine years, the NFL has announced its MVP winner -- along with its other season awards such as Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, etc. -- at a special event called the "NFL Honors" show.
Think of it like the Grammy Awards or the Emmy Awards for the NFL. Last season's "NFL Honors" was held on Feb. 1, the night before the Super Bowl.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, there will most likely not be an "NFL Honors" show in 2021. Instead, like most sports leagues and award shows during the pandemic, the NFL MVP will probably be presented virtually. It may happen on Feb. 6, the day before the Super Bowl, but no official announcement has been made.
Who decides NFL MVP?
A panel of 50 sportswriters chosen by the Associated Press decides the NFL MVP winner through a one-voter, one-vote process. Each writer votes for one player who they believe is MVP.
The award is presented by the Associated Press.
NFL MVP Odds and MVP Race
As of Sunday, Dec. 27, the updated NFL MVP odds have Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes as the favored winner. Mahomes has -300 odds to win MVP according to Las Vegas bookmakers.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is second in the race at +260 odds, and Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen is third at +900 odds.
Last season's MVP, Ravens QB Lamar Jackson -- who won the award in a unanimous vote -- is not listed on the odds sheet as this season wraps up.