Why Philadelphia Eagles WR A.J. Brown Deserves To Be in MVP Discussion
For quite a few weeks, we've written in this space that Philadelphia Eagles receiver A.J. Brown is having such a dominant season that he deserves to be at the forefront of the race for Offensive Player of the Year. But frankly, that's not the only major award that the 26-year-old should be considered for.
In our estimation, he's earned being in the NFL MVP conversation.
Brown surpassed Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson earlier this season by recording six consecutive games with 125 or more receiving yards. Through the first nine games of this season, Brown already has 67 catches for 1,005 receiving yards. For Brown to have a real chance at capturing the award, he'll probably need to break the aforementioned Johnson's single-season receiving record of 1,964 yards, a pace he's currently tracking just under. But a big performance on Monday Night Football in Week 11 against the Kansas City Chiefs could put him back on a 2,000-yard pace.
To a degree, though, this conversation goes beyond Brown. No receiver has ever won NFL MVP. The last non-quarterback to win NFL MVP was Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson in 2012. No one is going to dispute that quarterback is the most important position, but MVP shouldn't exclusively be an award given to one position.
Philadelphia Eagles receiver A.J. Brown is having the best season of his career.
USA Today
And 2023 might be the year that a player at another position wins the honor. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is having another strong season, but perhaps not one that stands out relative to some other campaigns by the two-time NFL MVP. Tom Brady retired, and Aaron Rodgers suffered a season-ending (??) torn achilles in his first game with the New York Jets. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson may be emerging as the lead contender for the NFL MVP, and last year's runner-up, Jalen Hurts, will likely earn consideration again.
But it can be argued this year that the very best players in the sport have been non-quarterbacks. Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill has 1,076 receiving yards and eight touchdown receptions this season. Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett has 18 quarterback hits, 9.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. Not to be outdone is Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end T.J. Watt, who has 18 quarterback hits, 9.5 sacks and two forced fumbles himself. San Francisco 49ers do-it-all offensive weapon Christian McCaffrey has 652 rushing yards, 292 receiving yards and 13 total touchdowns.
What usually ends up happening is that a quarterback of one of the two No. 1 seeds takes home the NFL MVP. Often, they are also the most deserving candidate, and it will hardly be a travesty if Hurts, Jackson or Mahomes wins the 2023 NFL MVP. But there are a handful of non-quarterbacks putting up MVP-caliber seasons, and Brown fits that description as much as anyone.
