Patriots' 3-Time MVP Tom Brady Picks Surprise 2023 Award Winner
Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady may have his playing days in the rearview mirror, but he still knows a thing or three about winning the NFL's Most Valuable Player. Not only does Brady's role as a future analyst for Fox Sports make his opinion more credible, but he also has a history of winning the award, having done it three times throughout his incredible 23-year career.
In a recent edition of his "Let's Go!" podcast, the seven-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback revealed who he'd vote for to win the award. Potentially, to the surprise of some, Brady didn't choose a quarterback. Rather, he named San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey as his top choice.
"I remember the first time I actually got a glimpse of Christian was in the Rose Bowl," Brady said about McCaffrey. "He was a dynamic player then. He is a dynamic player now, and I think all of what he's done this year is a lot of what he's done in the past. It's a different team with some different opportunities and they've been really dynamic on offense.
"So, he is definitely in my mind the MVP favorite and according to his quarterback too, Brock Purdy, who says some amazing things about him."
Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (left) and San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (right).
USA TODAY Sports
The sixth-year running back, formerly of Stanford, has quickly become a name on the rise in the MVP conversation in recent weeks. Despite being on a star-studded roster that includes the likes of fellow candidate and quarterback Brock Purdy, McCaffrey has put together an impressive season.
Through 14 games, McCaffrey leads the league in rushing with 1,292 yards and 13 touchdowns while racking up another 509 yards and seven scores as a receiver out of the backfield. McCaffrey's 1,292 yards rushing makes him just 95 yards away from tying his career-high, while he needs two more scores to do the same in the touchdowns category.
However, even with the possibility of a career year, McCaffrey faces stiff competition from his teammate, Purdy. The second-year signal-caller for the 49ers is the new betting favorite after Dak Prescott's Dallas Cowboys suffered a 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
Like McCaffrey, Purdy also finds himself near the top of the league in many statistical categories, including passing yards, where he ranks second at 3,795 while leading in touchdown passes (29) and passer rating (119.0). All the while, the 49ers are sitting at 11-3, which makes them tied for the best record in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens, who just so happen to be their opponents on Sunday.
While many will argue that the Niners aren't winning "because" of Purdy, the recent history of the MVP award is on his side. No none-quarterback has won the award since 2012 when then-Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson led the league in rushing with 2,097 yards.
