The 2023 NFL season is really heating up now and everyone from casual fans to professional analysts has their own thoughts on who is going to win their division and reach the Super Bowl. Just as fascinating is the question of who looks to be on track to claim the MVP title this season, so who are the leading candidates?
Dak Prescott – The Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys quarterback has been a standout since his rookie season and has already claimed two division titles in this career to date. Last season ended with mixed fortunes for Dak, as he won the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year award but saw the Cowboys lose their Divisional Round game against the San Francisco 49ers, with two interceptions contributing to the 19-12 loss.
Prescott recently pointed out that the good work of tight end Jake Ferguson has been key to the good season Dallas is having, but if the Cowboys are to end the season with the biggest prize, it’s going to need a massive set of performances from Prescott along the way. Their offense has been rolling along neatly as they look to win their sixth Super Bowl and the first since 1995.
At the time of writing, Dallas is sitting on a 9-3 record so far this season and has slipped out of the top four teams in terms of the odds of winning the Super Bowl. Things are looking up though, as they’ve just put together a strong run of Victoria and have their sights firmly set on winning the NFC East.
Brock Purdy – The San Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy’s NFL career has been nothing short of sensational so far, but can he top it all by claiming the MVP title in his first full season as a pro? It all began so differently, as Brock gained the unwanted title of Mr Irrelevant for being the last player picked in the 2022 draft, leading to the general feeling that his career was likely going nowhere fast.
He was expected to be the third-choice pick at QB for the 49ers but injuries to the players in front of him meant that Purdy was soon catapulted into the starting position. He didn’t disappoint as he helped San Francisco to win all five regular season games he started in the 2022 season before he suffered an injury in the NFC Championship game that they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles.
He fought back from injury to play the early games in the 2023 season as the starting QB and his stunning performances have seen him set a string of records along the way although he’s also put in some relatively poor performances at times. He’s now the favourite in many people’s eyes to be this season’s MVP and his most recent performance could prove to be significant, as he outshone fellow MVP candidate Jalen Hurts as the 49ers beat the Eagles comfortably.
Jalen Hurts – The Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts is one of the brightest stars in the league right now. He joined the Eagles in the 202 drafts, but last season was his breakout season, as he led the team to Super Bowl LVII and took part in the Pro Bowl.
Last year’s Super Bowl appearance ended in disappointment as the Kansas City Chiefs edged the game 38-35. Will he go one step further at Super Bowl LVIII, which is due to be played at the Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada on February 11 next year?
Jalen is under pressure after that recent loss to the 49ers we mentioned earlier. Check out the MVP betting and you’ll see that he’s slipped down to third or fourth place. Another sign of current form can be seen when you look at accurate NFL Odds of the future games. You can see the upcoming Philadelphia games and what the odds are on them winning. It’s also possible to bet on the individual performances and stats of Hurts in each game.
Patrick Mahomes – The Kansas City Chiefs
The last name on this list was last season’s NFL and Super Bowl MVP, so we certainly can’t write off Patrick Mahomes as a candidate for this season’s title. Right now, he’s slipped down the list as his team have fallen behind the 49ers in the Super Bowl betting.
That’s due to a stuttering 8-4 start to the season. Despite this, it was recently announced by the Chiefs that Patrick is their nomination for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award that is presented by Nationwide.
The QB was philosophical about the missed pass interference call that was partly to blame for their loss to the Green Bay Packers in their latest game, but Mahomes knows that the Chiefs need to become organised to make this another successful season.