ESPN Ranks Aaron Rodgers No. 2 in NFL MVP Race

Ex-Cal star addresses his future with Green Bay, his toe injury, and the look-alike on Pat McAfee Show

We're getting to the point in the NFL season when the MVP candidates are becoming apparent, and again former Cal quarterback Aaron Rodgers is very much in the race.

ESPN.com ranked the MVP candidates in a story this week, and said something significant:

The Buccaneers' Tom Brady and the Packers' Aaron Rodgers have made this a two-quarterback race entering Week 15. . . .

Here's how ESPN ranked the MVP race:

1. QB Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2. QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers

3. QB Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals

4. QB Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers

5. QB Josh Allen Buffalo Bills.

Just missed: QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs; RB Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts; QB Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams

And here is what the report said about Rodgers

2. Aaron Rodgers, QB< Green Bay Packers

2021 stats:

3,219 passing yards, 30 total TDs, 4 INTs, 64.9 QBR

This is familiar territory for Rodgers, whose surge at the end of the 2020 season led him to supplant

Patrick Mahomes

as the front-runner and wind up with his third MVP award. The Packers aren't the same offensive behemoth that they've been in previous years, but Rodgers is heating up at the right time, despite dealing with a toe injury that's only getting worse.

The Green Bay QB has had to overcome injuries and absences on both sides of the ball to lead his team to a 10-3 record and control of the NFC's No. 1 overall seed for now, after the Cardinals lost on Monday night. In a three-game stretch against the Vikings, Rams and Bears, Rodgers threw 10 touchdown passes and no interceptions and eclipsed 1,000 yards passing. In that same stretch, Green Bay scored 30-plus points in three straight games for the first time all season. Rodgers is +600 to win MVP.

Rodgers appeared on the Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday, and the subject of Rodgers’ future came up. Asked Tuesday by McAfee if he loves being a Green Bay Packer, Rodgers paused and said, "I love playing ball."

That was based on comments made by Cris Collinsworth and Al Michaels on "Sunday Night Football" suggesting that Rodgers might return to Green Bay next year because his relationship with general manager Brian Gutekunst seemed to be improved.

"It’s going to be one of the questions for sure," Rodgers said Tuesday about 25 minutes into the video below. "I understand that. I haven’t thought about that. At some point, there will be time to reflect, weeks and weeks and weeks away. There were a lot of questions ... about that idea where I’m at mentally with the team. I don’t want to overshare in those situations."

Thirty-six minutes into the video below Rodgers discussed his toe injury, noting it hurt more after Sunday’s game but that it will not be a major problem going forward.

One other thing worth listening to on the video is Rodgers comment regarding the look-alike guy at Sunday’s game that was pointed out during the Packers’ victory over the Bears. That’s about 23 minutes into the video.

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Cover photo of Aaron Rodgers by Mike DiSisti, USA TODAY Sports

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