Mahomes leads Super Bowl MVP odds, could claim third award
Published
Patrick Mahomes is playing in his fourth Super Bowl in just his sixth season as a starter in the NFL, and has a chance on Sunday to join elite NFL company if he can earn his third Super Bowl MVP award.
All Super Bowl MVP odds taken from FanDuel on Tuesday, Feb. 6.
Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs offence looked dormant for much of the regular season, finishing 15th in points per game after finishing sixth-or-better each of the preceding six seasons.
Mahomes also had perhaps the worst season of his career, finishing with 4,183 yards and 27 touchdowns - both career lows in seasons in which he started 15-or-more games, and 14 interceptions - a career high.
The 28-year-old returned to form in the playoffs though, especially in the last two rounds against the top two seeds in the conference.
Against the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens, Mahomes combined to throw for 456 yards and four touchdowns with no turnovers. Against the league's fourth-best (Bills, 17.2) and best (Ravens, 16.4) defences in terms of points allowed, Mahomes scored 22 points per game in a pair of victories.
Mahomes (+140) is the odds-on-favourite to take home the Super Bowl MVP award, per FanDuel, and is trailed closely by the San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy (+200) and Christian McCaffrey (+440). Travis Kelce (+1700) and Isiah Pacheco (+3500) of Kansas City are long odds to take the award, as well as Deebo Samuel (+2500) of the 49ers.
Super Bowl MVP favourites, per FanDuel
| Player | Position | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | QB | Kansas City Chiefs | +140 |
| Brock Purdy | QB | San Francisco 49ers | +200 |
| Christian McCaffrey | RB | San Francisco 49ers | +440 |
| Travis Kelce | TE | Kansas City Chiefs | +1700 |
| Deebo Samuel | WR | San Francisco 49ers | +2500 |
| Isiah Pacheco | RB | Kansas City Chiefs | +3500 |
If Mahomes were to win the award, he would move into a tie with legendary 49ers QB Joe Montana for second-most in NFL history. Tom Brady holds the top spot, with five awards in his seven Super Bowl victories.
Mahomes would also become the third player in NFL history to win the award in consecutive seasons, joining Terry Bradshaw (1979-80, Pittsburgh Steelers) and Bart Starr (1967-68, Green Bay Packers).
On the other side, Purdy has good odds to win the award in his first full season as a starter with the team - another rare feat. The last time a player earned Super Bowl MVP honours in his first full season as a starter was in 2001, when Brady won his first Super Bowl with the Patriots.
Purdy was strong in the regular season, completing 69.4 per cent of his passes for 4,280 yards - a 49ers' single-season record - and 31 touchdowns. He struggled in rainy conditions in the NFC Divisional Round against the Green Bay Packers, and has 519 yards, two touchdowns and an interception in two games this postseason overall.
Of the 58 players to win Super Bowl MVP - two players on the Dallas Cowboys were named MVP of Super Bowl XII in 1978 - 32 have been quarterbacks. Eight running backs have earned the award, and seven wide receivers - hence why the quarterbacks are heavy favourites.
Since Peyton Manning won Super Bowl MVP in the Indianapolis Colts' 29-17 victory over the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI, the award has gone to a QB 12 times, a WR three times and a linebacker twice.