Jameis Winston's MVP Odds Spike After Drew Brees' Comments on Protests

Bettors are rushing to place money on Tampa Bay's former QB after controversial comments by the Saints' starter.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has received significant backlash for his comments on police brutality protests by NFL players, and much of it has come from his own teammates and other players throughout the league.

One of the many impacts his words are having? The odds for NFL MVP in 2020, which saw a flood of bets placed on Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay's former starter who now sits behind Brees in New Orleans.

Half of all bets placed in the last 24 hours for NFL MVP have been placed on Winston, according to OddsChecker.

“Whoever starts under centre for the Saints this season will have one of the most dangerous offensive units in the league at his disposal and thus a great chance of being named MVP," says OddsChecker spokesperson Pete Watt. "If the current negativity surrounding Brees escalates, the Saints may feel pressured to take him out of the limelight. At that point, +20000 on Winston starts to look mighty appealing given that a $10 wager would net a profit of $2000 if he manages to scoop the award.”

It's still a huge long-shot, but the fact that bettors are responding just as swiftly as Brees' detractors is worth noting.

Brees has already issued a statement in response to the backlash his original comments caused, apologizing for how his words were perceived:

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It will be interesting to see how this impacts the Saints' locker room moving forward, as they prepare to defend their NFC South title in 2020.