Rodgers Takes Lead in NFL MVP Chase

Aaron Rodgers is playing his best football since 2016, and so are the Green Bay Packers.

During his famous run-the-table sprint to the NFC Championship Game a few years ago, he led Green Bay to eight consecutive victories by throwing 21 touchdown passes vs. two interceptions.

After back-to-back brilliant games in beating the Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs, Rodgers has surged to the front of the MVP race.

According to the latest from Odds Shark, Rodgers has vaulted over Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson in a two-horse race for MVP honors. Rodgers is listed as plus-225. On the strength of his two monster games against the Raiders and Chiefs – eight touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 152.0 passer rating – the rampaging Packers have emerged as prime contenders under first-year coach Matt LaFleur. Headed into Sunday’s game at Los Angeles against the Chargers, the Packers are 7-1 after going 6-9-1 last season. They’ve won four in a row for the first time since the second half of the 2016 season.

Rodgers has played his best football since star receiver Davante Adams went down with a turf-toe injury against Philadelphia on Sept. 26. Adams returned to practice on Wednesday, which should only bolster the burgeoning attack and, logically, Rodgers' production.

“All he’s doing is exactly what I knew he’d do. He takes over,” Adams said. “When I watched the Green Bay Packers when I was younger – it makes him feel old when I say it like that – but when I was younger, everybody is a big A-Rod fan. Not very many people knew every single receiver on the team. So I just told him, ‘Lock in and do what you do.’ You got some guys who have been working and they’re ready to go, and they’re ready to fight for you and battle with you. When he has that confidence in his guys, you can see it in his face and you definitely could see it in his play. It’s a little bit heightened awareness and overall taking a step up – kind of like I say he goes from preseason to the regular season. You can see that look in his eyes and it’s almost like a playoff stare already. When you have that from A-Rod early, it’s going to be tough for other teams.”

Wilson is listed as plus-275, well ahead of Carolina running back Christian McCaffrey (plus-800) and the rest of the contenders.

Rodgers won MVP honors in 2011 and 2014. Peyton Manning (five), Brett Favre (three) and Tom Brady (three) are the only players to win more than two MVPs since The Associated Press started the award in 1975.

For more on the MVP field, check out this story at Forbes.

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