NFL MVP 2021: Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady Are Co-Favorites In Two-Player Race

Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady are neck and neck in the 2021 NFL MVP race with three weeks left in the regular season. The top two quarterbacks of the last decade might be the only candidates with a real chance to win the award.

Rodgers and Brady are essentially co-favorites in what appears to be a two-player race. Various sportsbooks have the quarterbacks ranked first and second, in some order, in terms of MVP betting odds. Their odds fall somewhere between +125 and +175.

Brady had been the clear favorite before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were shut out in Sunday night’s 9-0 loss against the New Orleans Saints. The loss put Tampa Bay one game behind Rodgers’ Green Bay Packers for the best record in the league.

A three-time regular-season MVP and the reigning Super Bowl MVP, Brady still leads the NFL with 4,348 passing yards and 36 passing touchdowns. The 44-year-old has 11 interceptions and a 100.4 passer rating. The Bucs lead all teams with 29.3 points per game.

The Saints also held the Packers without a touchdown, limiting Rodgers to 133 passing yards and two interceptions as New Orleans won the season opener 38-3. Rodgers has an 11-1 record as a starter since that upset, looking to become the first repeat MVP winner since Peyton Manning did it in 2009.

Rodgers leads all quarterbacks with a 110.4 passer rating and a 30:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Rodgers is ninth with 268.2 passing yards per game and seventh with 7.9 yards per attempt.

With a favorable schedule, Brady can put up big numbers to finish the season. Tampa Bay will face the Carolina Panthers twice and visit the lowly New York Jets. A season-ending injury to Chris Godwin and a hamstring strain for Mike Evans make Brady’s array of weapons less potent.

The Packers host the Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings before ending the season on the road against the Detroit Lions. Rodgers has thrown for eight touchdowns and no interceptions against Detroit and Minnesota this season.

If Green Bay wins out and Rodgers remains the quarterback for the league’s best team, he could very well lock up the award for the third time in his career.

It was only a few weeks ago that the MVP race was considered up for grabs. Kyler Murray fell out of the race by missing three games and losing two more shortly after his return. Injuries and interceptions knocked Lamar Jackson out of contention. Dak Prescott hasn’t played like an MVP since he hurt his calf two months ago. Josh Allen hasn’t been on the same level as Brady and Rodgers, despite being one of the favorites for most of the season.

The damage done to Patrick Mahomes’ MVP case is probably irreversible. Mahomes has thrown 13 interceptions, putting him one pick away from the league lead. Eleven starters have a better passer rating than Mahomes.

Jonathan Taylor has been the NFL’s most productive offensive weapon, but it’s hard to imagine a running back even challenging Brady or Rodgers for the award.