Seahawks QB Sam Darnold named among favorites to win Super Bowl MVP

The top-seeded Seattle Seahawks will face the No. 6 San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, Jan. 17, for a spot in the NFC Championship game. That would put the Seahawks one step from the Super Bowl for the first time since 2014.

After earning the No. 1 seed, Seattle will be coming off two weeks of rest in that matchup. Conversely, the 49ers will have just six days to prepare following their Wild Card win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.

More simply, the Seahawks have several factors working in their favor as they try to make a run to Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8.

With the Seahawks as one of the favorites to reach the title game, quarterback Sam Darnold has emerged as a Super Bowl MVP favorite alongside Los Angeles Rams signal-caller Matthew Stafford.

Sports Illustrated writer Ryan Gilbert compiled the top candidates via DraftKings Sportsbook. Darnold is currently second among all players (+475) behind only Stafford.

Top-10 best odds for Super Bowl MVP

Matthew Stafford: +400
Sam Darnold: +475
Josh Allen: +700
Drake Maye: +700
Bo Nix: +1000
Puka Nacua: +1500
Jaxon Smith-Njigba: +1800
C.J. Stroud: +2000
Caleb Williams: +2200
Brock Purdy: +2500

Jan 3, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) reacts after a catch against the San Francisco 49ers during the second half at Levi's Stadium. | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Keep in mind, this is taking into account what teams oddsmakers perceive as the most likely to even make it to the Super Bowl. Then, since quarterbacks are regular winners of the award, that's why you have so many in the top 10.

The only two non-quarterbacks in the top-10 are Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Rams pass-catcher Puka Nacua. That pair led the NFL in receiving yards by a sizable amount during the 2025 regular season. Both had more than 1,700 yards, while no other player hit 1,500.

There's still a lot of work to be done before Darnold can start thinking about a Super Bowl MVP. But his defense is the best in the league, and that at least gives him a better chance than most.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Top-10 best odds for Super Bowl MVP

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