NFL: 25 wide receivers that should have been league MVP

NFL wide receivers that should have been league MVP: 22. Demaryius Thomas, 2014

Demaryius Thomas was one of the most beloved wide receivers in the league. He dealt with a lot during his time in the league and in trying to get to the league. That perseverance was noticed when he suddenly passed away earlier in December. It was seasons like 2014 that made him a star.

Thomas was paired with Peyton Manning and the Broncos tried to go towards a more run orientated offense, but Thomas showed he was too important for that. He ended the season with more than 1,600 yards, a Broncos franchises record. He had 11 touchdowns and the offense would go through him for most of the season. He also had seven consecutive games with over 100 yards. That is one short of the record set by Calvin Johnson.

Thomas was incredibly clutch all season. He caught a two-point conversion to tie the game against the Seahawks and send the game to overtime in Week 3. He had three touchdowns in a massive comeback win against the Miami Dolphins in Week 12. In Week 15, the Broncos were having trouble on offense, but Thomas caught the ball to score in the third quarter to put the game against the Chargers out of reach and to secure the AFC West title.

Thomas was one of the major reasons the Broncos were able to secure a first-round bye. Manning is always going to get the headlines, but he was declining. That became clear the next season when he fell off a cliff. However, Thomas’ best season helped alleviate the massive drop-off in production of one of the best quarterbacks of all time. That alone is worth an MVP award.