This year’s MVP race in the National Football league is definitely one to remember. At the beginning of the year, a wide receiver from The Steel City was somewhat in the run, until he fell off the poll due to an injury. One young quarterback in the run was also injured late in the year, but that didn’t stop him or the minds of others from keeping him in the conversation of this year’s MVP. Rising stars and a household-named veteran are in the run for this years most valuable player.  

The veteran? Mr. Tom Brady. The sixth round draft pick in 2000 out of Michigan has the most experience and success under his belt compared to the other players. He has been to seven Super Bowls and won five of them, and he is competing for another one next month. He has won this award two times before and is so far on top for his third. In a road game against the Steelers during the regular season, Brady charged his way down the field for what turned out to be a game-winning 77-yard drive in just 1 minute, 10 seconds. Brady, with the ball in the two-minute drill, is a sight that makes defensive coordinators frustrated. He’s first in the league in passing yards, second in passer rating, third in touchdown passes, fourth in QBR and fifth in completion percentage for a team that is going to the big dance.

One out of the two rising stars is Los Angeles Rams’s running back Todd Gurely. The former Georgia Bulldogs running back ran for 1,187 yards with 13 touchdowns on 257 carries. Receiving, he caught 54 passes for 630 yards with four touchdowns. His performance against the Seahawks made Gurley the league-leader in the vital category of “Soul-Robbing Performances in Road Games Bringing About the End of a Dynasty in Your Own Division.” Sure, we all know the Seattle defense is way banged up and not what it used to be. But even that doesn’t explain the Seahawks’ complete lack of answers for Gurley, who torched them for 180 total yards and four touchdowns in a 42-7 statement victory in Seattle. This proves that Gurley’s tough run style, is unique in the league and can have a good shot winning MVP behind Brady.

Lastly, another quarterback: Carson Wentz. After suffering a season-ending knee injury in week 15, Wentz is still in the MVP conversation because of his punishing passing attack. Wentz threw for 3,296 yards with 33 touchdowns, finishing with a 74.4 quarterback ranking. Even with missing games, the North Dakota state grad led the NFL with touchdown passes going into week 17. With Wentz behind Gurley in the MVP race, the only way he is getting it is by the voters understanding how good of a player he was before he got hurt and knowing how well-respected he is in Philadelphia.