NFL: 25 wide receivers that should have been league MVP

The NFL MVP is almost always a quarterback, but what if that’s not the way voters went? Which wide receivers would have a shot to win the trophy?

The wide receiver position is vitally important to an NFL offense, but it never gets the recognition it deserves. The great wide receivers either come off as trash talking divas or they are quiet and fall under the radar. It seems like the wide receiver can either be Keenan Allen or Odell Beckham Jr. Both make the same impact on a team when they are in their prime, but they are perceived very differently. Either way, neither gets recognition as an MVP candidate.

That’s because MVP is basically a QB award at this point. The QB has won the award 66 percent of the time. The last time a non-quarterback won the award was back in 2012 when Adrian Peterson barely beat out Peyton Manning to win it. Over the last 20 years, 18 quarterbacks have won the MVP and three running backs won. Yes, that equals 21 because one year they gave it to Manning and Steve McNair.

In the long history of the NFL, a wide receiver has never won the MVP. There have been more kickers winning the MVP award than wide receivers. That’s clearly a mistake. There have been plenty of seasons where a player deserved to win the MVP award. Look at this season right now. Cooper Kupp is keeping the Rams afloat by himself. Yet, despite being a really bad year for MVP options, he’s not even considered.

Let’s change that. These guys deserve extra recognition, so let’s give it to them. Let’s hand out some MVP awards to the one position that’s never recognized. Here are 25 wide receivers who deserved the MVP award.