10 NFL MVP Candidates: No Patrick Mahomes, But Three AFC North Players Made the List

As the NFL season approaches the halfway point, we’re taking the pulse of the MVP race.

Here are the top 10 contenders heading into week nine. (What, no Patrick Mahomes?)

1. Ravens Quarterback Lamar Jackson

The 2023 MVP is playing even better this season. Jackson is 158 of 236 (66.9 percent) for 2,099 yards, 17 touchdowns and two interceptions in eight games. His 115.4 passer rating is the best and highest in the league during his seven-year career.

Jackson, the NFL’s top dual-threat quarterback, has 501 rushing yards, which would put him on pace for his third 1,000-yard season and first since 2020.

2. Bills QB Josh Allen

Turnover has been Allen’s biggest problem. He entered 2024 with double-digit interceptions in five of his six NFL seasons (Allen had nine interceptions in 2019), including 47 from 2021 to 2023, the most in the NFL during that period (x/ t Stathead).

However, Allen has cut his losses this season. His 0.4 interception rate is the lowest in the league. He also ranks fifth in the league in touchdown passes (17), leading Buffalo (6-2) to a 3.5-game lead in the AFC East.

3. Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson

The NFL’s best wide receiver continues to get better. He is the key to quarterback Sam Darnold’s success and Minnesota’s 5-2 start.

The 2022 Offensive Player of the Year has 41 receptions for 646 yards and five touchdowns this season, including a 97-yard reception — the longest reception of any receiver this season — in Week 2 against the 49ers.