The MVP Five Are In: Did Your Quarterback Get Snubbed
NEW YORK, NY — The NFL just dropped the finalist list for the Most Valuable Player award, and if your group chat isn’t already a war zone, you aren’t paying attention. We have the usual heavyweights, a gritty comeback story, and a running back who finally reminded the world that “boring” handoffs can still be explosive. Josh Allen, Jared Goff, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, and Saquon Barkley are the last men standing.
Sean McVay’s speech before OT will have you ready to run through a wall 😤 @RamsNFL@insidetheNFL NFL Playoffs Mic’d Up on X pic.twitter.com/5q5AcaFPeT
— NFL (@NFL) January 21, 2026
Breaking the QB Monopoly?
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: Saquon Barkley. It has been years since a running back actually felt like the most important player in the league. Watching him in Philly this year wasn’t just about the stats—though **2,100+ yards from scrimmage and 20 total touchdowns** are impossible to ignore. It was about the way he fundamentally changed how defenses played the Eagles. For the first time since Christian McCaffrey’s peak, we have a non-QB who genuinely carried the mail every single Sunday.
Then you have the Jared Goff story. A few years ago, people talked about him like he was just “part of the trade” for Matthew Stafford. Now? He’s a finalist after leading the Lions to a **top-two seed** and throwing for over **4,500 yards**. He isn’t the flashy runner that Lamar is, and he doesn’t have the “how did he do that?” arm of Mahomes, but he was the most efficient pilot in the league this season. If you value “doing your job” at a legendary level, Goff is your guy.
Inside the Huddle
“Look at the tape. You take Saquon out of that offense, or you take Josh Allen off that Bills roster, and those teams aren’t even in the dance. That is what ‘Valuable’ actually means. It’s not a ‘Best Stats’ award; it’s a ‘Can’t Live Without You’ award.” — Season Ticket Holder, Section 124
The Bottom Line & What’s Next
The winner will be crowned at the NFL Honors during Super Bowl week, but the debate starts now. While Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes are looking to add more hardware to their already crowded mantels, the real heat is on Josh Allen. He accounted for **over 45 total touchdowns** this year, basically acting as the Bills’ primary passer and goal-line back combined.
Expect the voting to be closer than usual. Usually, one guy runs away with it by December, but this year felt like a weekly game of musical chairs. If Saquon pulls this off, it breaks a decade-long streak of quarterback dominance. If Allen wins, it’s a career-defining moment that finally puts him in the “elite of the elite” tier officially. Either way, get ready for the “disrespect” tweets from whoever finishes second.
