MVP Candidates Watch List: The Top 7 and Their Routes To The Award

Oct 19, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (17) yells down the line in front of running back Branden Oliver (43) during the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The AP MVP award is the most prestigious honor an individual player can earn in the NFL. Well, that and Super Bowl MVP I suppose. But many would argue that the AP MVP is a more impressive accomplishment because it requires complete and utter dominance of an entire NFL season. An entire year in NFL history is forever attached to that player’s name and he’s forever remembered as the best (for that year).

Who are 2014’s top MVP candidates? Well there’s a few around the league. A handful of players have really put together strong seasons, but seven players are standing noticeably above the rest. They’re dominating their positions better than anyone else in the league, that is why they’re being mentioned now and why they’ll be mentioned at the season’s end when this award is being discussed.

These players are… well I’m not just going to name them all just yet, but I’ll reveal the positions: QB, OLB, QB, DE, QB, RB, and QB. Think you know the players? Well check out who they are and why they should and or will win the 2014 AP MVP award. Each one of them is extremely valuable to their team and should be strongly considered for the award. The rankings from 7-1 are essentially arbitrary in the grand scheme of the NFL season; it’s more about their inclusion than placement.

Honorable mention for the award goes to Texans’ running back Arian Foster, Steelers’ wide receivers Antonio Brown and Packers’ wide receiver Jordy Nelson, who are all performing at spectacular levels in 2014, but don’t really have a chance at the award.

Who made the MVP candidates watch list? I’m sure you can guess a few of the names.