National Football League

NFL MVP: The case for Kyler Murray and the best player on the best team

Published Nov. 12, 2021 5:15 p.m. ET

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Over halfway through the NFL season, the list of MVP front-runners is starting to take shape.

And on Friday's "Undisputed," FOX Sports NFL Analyst Bucky Brooks proclaimed that 24-year-old Kyler Murray will end up running away with this year's MVP Award. 

His rationale?

"The best player on the best team, and that's the Arizona Cardinals' Kyler Murray," Brooks said. 

Murray indeed leads the NFL in completion percentage (72.7%) and sits third in passer rating (110.4). Murray's 17:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio also places him near the top of the league, and he has four games with three or more touchdowns for the team with the best record in the league (8-1).

But beyond the numbers, does Brooks' rationale hold weight? Should the league's MVP be the best player on the best team? And has that been the case in recent years?

The MVP award has been handed out every season since 1957, so going through 64 years of MVPs would be … arduous. But let's just look at the last 10 seasons and see if Brooks is onto something.

2020: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers

Rodgers' 4,299 passing yards and 48:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio were outstanding last season. He led the NFL in completion percentage (70.7%), passer rating (121.5) and passing TDs (48), and led the Packers to a 13-3 record, good for the No. 1 seed in NFC. Only Kansas City (14-2) posted a better record during the regular season.

2019: Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens

After a spectacular breakout season, Jackson became just the second unanimous MVP in NFL history (Tom Brady, in 2010, was the only other winner to receive all 50 votes). In doing so, Jackson became the youngest quarterback (23) to win MVP and the second-youngest player of any position, behind only former Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown (21 years old in 1957 MVP season). Baltimore had the best record in the regular season at 14-2, the best record in Baltimore's franchise history.

Jackson finished the regular season with a 66.1% completion percentage, 3,127 passing yards, a 113.3 passer rating, 36 TDs and just six INTs. He carried the ball 176 times for 1,206 rushing yards and seven TDs. He led NFL in passing touchdowns and yards per carry (6.9).

2018: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs

Mahomes became the first Chiefs player to win MVP in franchise history behind a remarkable season that featured 5,097 passing yards, a 113.8 passer rating and a 66.0% completion percentage. He led the NFL in passing touchdowns (50) and became one of just two players in NFL history to record 5,000 or more passing yards and 50 or more passing TDs in a season (Peyton Manning, 2013).

The then-sophomore QB led the Chiefs to 12-4 record, good for the No. 1 seed in AFC, the third-best record in the NFL.

2017: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots

Brady put up 4,577 passing yards, 32 TDs, eight INTs and a 102.8 passer rating.

He led the NFL in passing yards, becoming the oldest player in league history to lead in that category and the oldest MVP winner in NFL history at 40 years old. With Brady at the helm, the Patriots went on to post a 13-3 record and snag the No. 1 spot in AFC. 

2016: Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons

Ryan became the first Falcon to win MVP after a record-setting regular-season performance. He led the NFL in passer rating (117.1) and yards per completion (13.3). He threw for 4,944 yards, 38 TDs and a 69.9% completion percentage.

Ryan led the Falcons to an 11-5 record (fifth-best in league), which landed Atlanta as the No. 2 seed in NFC.

2015: Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers

Newton became the first MVP in Panthers' history after posting a record-smashing season for Carolina.

He threw for 3,837 yards and 35 TDs while adding 132 carries for 636 yards and 10 rushing TDs. He became the only player in NFL history to record 30 or more passing touchdowns and 10 or more rushing touchdowns in a single season.

Newton led the Panthers to a league-best 15-1 record –– the best in franchise history –– and No. 1 seed in the NFC.

2014: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers

Rodgers set the NFL record for most consecutive pass attempts at home without throwing an interception (512 attempts). He finished the regular season with 4,381 yards, 38 TDs and just five INTs on his way to a 112.2 passer rating.

He led the Packers to a 12-4 record and the No. 2 seed in NFC (tied with four other teams for best record in NFL).

2013: Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos

Manning led the league in NFL in completions (450) and set the NFL single-season records for passing yards (5,477) and passing touchdowns (55) on the way to a 13-3 record, good for best in the AFC and tied for best in the NFL. What's more, the 2013 Broncos are the highest-scoring team in NFL history (606 points scored).

2012: Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings

Peterson was the last non-QB to win MVP and only the fourth to do so since 2000 (Marshall Faulk, Shaun Alexander, LaDainian Tomlinson). He led the NFL in rushing yards with 2,097 –– the second-most in a single season in NFL history behind only Eric Dickerson's 2,105 yards in 1984 –– and in scrimmage yards (2,314).

He also tallied 12 rushing TDs and one receiving. At the time, Peterson was the seventh player to reach 2,000 rushing yards in a season (Derrick Henry later became the eighth).

The Vikings finished 10-6 and earned the second NFC Wild Card spot in the postseason that year.

2011: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers

Rodgers finished the regular season with a league-leading 122.5 passer rating, the highest single-season passer rating in NFL history. He also put up 4,643 passing yards, a 68.3 completion percentage and a 45:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio while leading the Packers to 15-1 record –– best in NFL ––  and No. 1 seed in AFC.

So –– does the best player on the best team deserve the award?

You be the judge.

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National Football League

Arizona Cardinals

Kyler Murray

Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers

Lamar Jackson

Baltimore Ravens

Patrick Mahomes

Kansas City Chiefs

Tom Brady

New England Patriots

Matt Ryan

Atlanta Falcons

Cam Newton

Carolina Panthers

Denver Broncos

Adrian Peterson

Minnesota Vikings

Bucky Brooks

Skip and Shannon: Undisputed