NFL: Ranking every MVP winner in league history based on pro career

Ranking every MVP winner in NFL history: 30. Earl Morrall

Stats:

• 20,809 passing yards
• 161 passing touchdowns
• 148 interceptions

For a player who ultimately had a mediocre career, Earl Morrall sure has a mantle full of hardware.

Make no mistake about it, the former number two overall pick in the 1956 NFL Draft was a colossal bust. He spent most of his career stuck on the bench, starting only 102 of 255 games. Morrall also managed to connect on only 51.3% of his passes throughout his career, explaining why he was better off with the second unit. On several occasions, it was as if Morrall was blind on the field. With 162 touchdown passes and 148 interceptions, Morrall was just as likely to throw a game-winning score as he was to throw a game-ending pick.

After another mediocre year in which he came off the bench for the New York Giants in 1967, in 1968, as a member of the Baltimore Colts, Morrall became the best player in the league overnight. He threw for 2,906 yards, led the league in touchdowns with 26, and suffered only one defeat in 14 games which ultimately led to the league MVP award.

His Cinderella moment, of course, didn’t last long. Morrall went right back to stinking up the joint. His best passing numbers shortly after that season came in 1972 when he threw for 1,360 yards. Consistency was simply never something Lamonica was interested in.