NFL MVP Race: 4 Candidates to Watch in the Closing Weeks

San Francisco 49ers v Arizona Cardinals
(Photo : Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) GLENDALE, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 17: Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers hands the ball off to Christian McCaffrey #23 of the San Francisco 49ers during the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on December 17, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona.

After tonight's game there are three weeks left of the NFL regular season and the MVP race is going into its final sprint.  There are four players that make a serious argument as to why they should be the MVP of the 2023 NFL season.  

San Francisco 49ers Brock Purdy: NFL MVP Current Leader

The story of mister irrelevant himself is nothing short of astonishing in itself.  49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is having a remarkable 2023 season as he picked up where he left off in 2022.  If it wasn't for a season ending injury in the playoffs last year against the Philadelphia Eagles, we might have been hailing Purdy as a Super Bowl winner.  

Purdy leads all other quarterbacks in touchdowns and passer rating and is an easy candidate for MVP.  There is one drawback to Brock's immense season, he does play for the 49ers; who most people see as having the upper echelon of talent on a single NFL football team.  This unfortunately takes away from his case that the team cannot compete without him, although it is evident that he provides an edge for his team.

San Francisco 49ers Christian McCaffrey and Miami Dolphins Tyreek Hill: WorkHorse NFL MVP Candidates  

In a way bolstering the point made against Brock Purdy being MVP, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey makes as good of a case as any to finally take the MVP away from a quarterback since the 2012 NFL season.  Like former MVP running back Adrian Peterson, McCaffrey shows how detrimental his role on the offense is.  McCaffrey leads all other backs by 300 yards in rushing and is second to only Miami Dolphins Raheem Mostert in rushing touchdowns.  Even with the plethora of weapons on the 49ers offense, McCaffrey without a doubt is the lead engine.

The other NFL MVP workhorse candidate is Miami's wide receiver Tyreek Hill.  Hill, although has lost a little steam as a MVP candidate this past NFL Sunday, still leads the league in both receiving touchdowns and yards.  Tyreek is on pace for a historic 2023 season and should definitely be in the MVP talks, but here's why within two weeks his argument has changed drastically.  Last week against the Tennessee Titans the Miami Dolphins offense looked lost with Hill on the field.  When Hill returned, the Dolphins offense had life but before his return they seemed to be in desperate need of their talented receiver while he was out.  

Now in the Week 15 matchup against the New York Jets, the Miami offense was still a handful without their star wideout Tyreek.  Jaylen Waddle proved that he could also fill the WR1 spot as he flew for stat lines similar to Hill's against a stout Jets defense.  This performance in a way devalues the speedster, but let's not hold our breath just yet because Hill does have a handful of games left to prove how much he is worth again.  

Related Article: Jets Get Rocked: Dolphins Sink New York Playoff Hopes

Buffalo Bills Josh Allen and Baltimore Ravens Lamar Jackson:  Dark Horse NFL MVP Candidates

The next two players fall under the same category; being that their stats may not be super impressive this year but they provide a field sense that their team would not be anywhere near the same without them playing.

Any real deal NFL fan loves watching Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson play, unless they are going up against your favorite team.  Both quarterbacks hold two different narratives in the 2023 season.  Jackson strives to keep the Ravens in the one seed of the AFC while Josh Allen fights for his team to make a final push for a Wild Card Playoff spot.  These two human highlight reels leave defenses shook.  Whether it be the slippery gliding of Lamar or the rifle throws of Allen; these players leave it all on the field every play and it is no question that their teams would be nowhere without them.  I'm sure no one would argue if either of these players ended up walking away with the 2023 NFL MVP Honor.       

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