Jordan Love Among NFL MVP Front-Runners But Faces Uphill Climb

NFL MVP almost always goes to the quarterback of a really good team. That’s good news for Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love.

NFL MVP almost always goes to the quarterback of a really good team with really good numbers. That’s probably bad news for Love.

No matter how well Love plays within the offense, he might always be held back by his role in it.

The Packers ran the ball on the fifth-highest percentage of plays last season. Three of the four teams ahead of them have dual-threat quarterbacks – Lamar Jackson of the Ravens, Josh Allen of the Bills and Jayden Daniels of the Commanders – that skew their run-game numbers to some extent. Packers coach Matt LaFleur, on the other hand, prefers to run the ball through running back Josh Jacobs, no matter how well Love is playing.

With the start of Packers training camp a little more than one month away, Love is tied for the eighth-shortest MVP odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Last season, 30 quarterbacks started at least nine games. Love finished sixth with a 101.2 passer rating and eighth in yards per attempt. He was tied for eighth in touchdown percentage and tied for seventh in interception percentage – one of only four passers in the top 10 in each category.

In a huge step in the right direction, Love set career highs in completion percentage and interception percentage.

Now, Love is trying to tighten his game even more.

“My biggest thing that I’ve noticed since I got back is just my feet in the pocket, trying to be as smooth and consistent as possible,” Love said at minicamp. “When I go through my reads, get into my hitches and not getting antsy, not getting to that point where you’re trying to move through the pocket too fast. Just staying calm, staying relaxed, move through my reads.

“If I’ve got to move around in the pocket, keeping those movements pretty tight and not kind of running into where guys might be peeling off and able to hit you. So just really trying to focus on my feet, my pocket movements. Obviously, I think all those things are tied to accuracy and just the timing of routes and things like that, so just trying to be as dialed in as possible. That’s the biggest thing I’ve been trying to work on so far.”

Love topped 4,100 passing yards and 30 touchdown passes during his first season as the starter in 2023. The last two seasons, he’s averaged 3,385 passing yards and 24 touchdown passes.

“There’s a lot of things that when you meet with him and talk with him that he wants to get better at, and that’s great,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said at the start of the offseason program.

“He’s always a very prepared person, sets his goals and everything like that. And I think for him, just taking as much control of the offense as he can. Being the best leader for the guys is going to be huge, not only for the offense, but for the entire team. Just keep developing in that role, and then we’ll see what happens.”

NFL MVP Favorites

Here are the top 10 in the MVP odds, with a more expansive list here.

Josh Allen, Bills: +600.

Lamar Jackson, Ravens: +750.

Drake Maye, Patriots: +850.

Joe Burrow, Bengals: +900.

Matthew Stafford, Rams: +900.

Justin Herbert, Chargers: +1100.

Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs: +1300.

Dak Prescott, Cowboys: +1400.

Jordan Love, Packers: +1400.

Caleb Williams, Bears: +1500.

Noteworthy Additions to MVP List

Jared Goff, Lions: +3500.

Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions (first RB): +6500

Kyler Murray, Vikings: +7500.

Ja’Marr Chase, Bengals; Puka Nacua, Rams; Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks (first receivers): +10000.

Myles Garrett, Rams (first defensive player): +10000.

Aaron Rodgers, Steelers: +10000.

Malik Willis, Dolphins: +12500.

Micah Parsons, Packers: +50000.

Tucker Kraft, Packers: +50000.

Josh Jacobs, Packers: +50000.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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