Rodgers Sits Second in FanDuel’s MVP Race

Here is a look at the MVP race, Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year, and more.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Jul 8, 2021 1:50 PM EDT

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Will Aaron Rodgers play in 2021? Will he still be the Green Bay Packers’ starting quarterback?

While coach Matt LaFleur, general manager Brian Gutekunst and the rest of the sporting world wait for the three-time MVP to finally say something definitive, FanDuel has Rodgers with the second-shortest odds in its MVP market.

Rodgers is +1000 to repeat as the NFL’s most valuable player. Only Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (+500) has shorter odds. Quarterbacks hold the first 15 positions, with Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady next at +1200, Buffalo’s Josh Allen at +1300 and Dallas’ Dak Prescott at +1500. The first non-quarterbacks are Carolina running back Christian McCaffrey and Tennessee running back Derrick Henry at +5000.

Green Bay’s other potential starting quarterback, Jordan Love, is +9000 and running back Aaron Jones is +18000.

The Rams’ Aaron Donald (+500), Cleveland’s Myles Garrett (+600) and Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt (+750) are the favorites for Defensive Player of the Year. Green Bay’s top defenders, cornerback Jaire Alexander and outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith, are surprisingly far down the list. Alexander has the 17th-shortest odds at +5500 and Smith has the 28th-shortest odds at +9000.

For Offensive Rookie of the Year, the five first-round quarterbacks hold the first five spots, with Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence (+270) and Chicago’s Justin Fields (+500) leading the way. The Packers’ third-round pick, receiver Amari Rodgers, has the 14th-shortest odds at +4500.

For Defensive Rookie of the Year, Dallas linebacker Micah Parsons is the favorite at +550. The Packers’ first-round pick, cornerback Eric Stokes, has the 15th-shortest odds at +3300.

While the uncertainty at quarterback has Green Bay’s win total off the board, the Packers are +1700 to win the Super Bowl, the eighth-shortest odds. Green Bay is fourth in the race for the No. 1 seed in the NFC and still a considerable favorite to win the NFC North.

How did FanDuel arrive at its odds given the questions at quarterback?

“Simply, we have some degree of probability baked into the lines that included a chance that Rodgers won’t be in Green Bay,” FanDuel’s John Sheeran said. “If he leaves, you will see them move away from the Packers, but not as much as you might expect.”