NFL MVP race after Week 13

Thursday and Sunday’s games saw the Bills beat the Patriots and the Bengals beat the Chiefs. That put the Bills and Chiefs at a tie for number one in the AFC. Despite the Chiefs loss to the Bengals, Patrick Mahomes remains the favorite to win NFL MVP as Week 13 comes to an end. But the Bengals win put Joe Burrow high up in the race as well.

Top 5 candidates for NFL MVP 2022

1. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

It will take more than a loss to the Bengals to bump Patrick Mahomes down in the MVP race. With one MVP title to his name already, Mahomes is on his way to a second this season with the Chiefs at 9-3 heading into Week 14. With 3,808 yards, 30 touchdowns to just eight interceptions, Mahomes is having arguably his best season ever. If he continues this way and the Chiefs can stay at the top of the AFC, Mahomes is on track to win this race.

2. Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are at the top of the NFC with an 11-1 record and that is much thanks to their quarterback Jalen Hurts. After his Week 12 performance in which he had a career-high 157 yards in the Eagles’ victory over the Green Bay Packers, Hurts’ MVP chances skyrocketed. He then put up a 380-yard performance in their 35-10 victory over the Titans in Week 13 with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Without Hurts, there is no doubt this Eagles team would look a lot different. The MVP award is meant for the league’s most impactful player, and for the Eagles team, that’s Jalen Hurts.

3. Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals had a slow start to the season with a 2-3 record but have since come back to now be 8-4. Joe Burrow has led Cincinnati to four wins in a row and six wins in the last seven games, including a win over the Mahomes-led Chiefs on Sunday, which shot him up to the top three in the MVP race. He is now the only quarterback who is undefeated against Mahomes (3-0) including in the playoffs and joined Tom Brady as the only quarterback to defeat Mahomes at least three times. After that win, the Bengals are tied with the Ravens for fifth in the AFC and Joe Cool is in the running for a comeback to win MVP.

4. Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins

If Tua Tagovailoa hadn’t missed all those games after his concussion, he’d likely be even higher on this list. Before and after that though, he’s been quickly becoming one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Over the last six games, he has a combined 1,824 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and just two interceptions (both of which came in Week 13 against the 49ers). It’s not likely he’ll win the race this season due to the injury, but if he can stay healthy, he’ll have a good chance at winning it next season.

5. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills

Josh Allen was a favorite to win the MVP race going into the 2022 season, along with Patrick Mahomes. Though the Bills are now sitting atop the AFC, Allen himself has not contributed quite enough to be up as high in this race as Mahomes in the end. The Bills beat the Patriots on Thursday, with Allen passing for 223 yards and two touchdowns, but he still remains just number five in the MVP race. With 3,406 yards and 25 touchdowns through 12 games, Allen is on track for a career-high in passing yards (4,919) and touchdowns (35). He’s also an elite runner and could easily pass his career-high of 763 rushing yards this season. At this point in the season though, if he wants to be a frontrunner, he’ll likely need to lead the Bills to wins for the rest of the year.

Who else is in the 2022 NFL MVP race?

Following those five are Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill, Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, and Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson.