NFL: 25 wide receivers that should have been league MVP

NFL wide receivers that should have been league MVP: 14. Marvin Harrison, 1999

Marvin Harrison is one of the greatest wide receivers of all time. He made the first decade of Peyton Manning’s career a lot easier by always being open and having a ridiculous catch percentage. The first season Harrison turned ridiculous was 1999.

It’s pretty famous how bad Peyton Manning was in his rookie season in 1998. He led the league in interceptions, he looked increasingly inaccurate as the season continued, and his confidence took a major hit. Then, in his sophomore season, he started to show his Hall of Fame abilities. It’s no coincidence that happened at the same time that Harrison became a ridiculously good wide receiver.

In Manning’s second season and Harrison’s fourth season, Peyton’s favorite pass catcher had 1,663 yards, 12 touchdowns, on 115 catches. This might not even be Harrison’s best season, but the fact that he helped lead one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the league to dominance means a lot. Manning needed someone to throw to as skills continued to grow. That was exactly what Harrison provided when Manning needed it most.

The “Most Valuable Player” makes it a point to show up when the team needs him. Harrison was a mediocre wide receiver until his quarterback was ready to break out. Some might say that shows he needs his quarterback to succeed, but this is the opposite. Manning couldn’t succeed without a monster season from Harrison. This proves how important he was to this team at this time.