Assuming everyone stays healthy, the 2026 NFL MVP race could be one of the most intense in recent memory.
Entering the 2026 season, the league is set to be as competitive as fans have ever seen it. There were already 15 teams with a winning record last season, and out of the teams with a losing record, one of them was a division winner, multiple had major quarterback injuries, and still, 21 teams had 9 losses or fewer.
With breakout players potentially factored in, bounce-back seasons on the horizon, and new stars standing their ground, who are the top MVP candidates going into the 2026 season? Our newest NFL Power Rankings are going to attempt to sort out the top 10 overall.
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10. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
A lot of folks might scoff at this, but Bo Nix is undoubtedly an MVP candidate heading into his 3rd season. What we've seen from Nix in his first two years in the NFL has certainly been polarizing, but he's undoubtedly proven to be one of the most clutch quarterbacks in the NFL.
Over his first two seasons in the NFL, Nix has engineered 11 game-winning drives, including in the playoffs this past season when he led the Broncos to a Divisional Round win over the Buffalo Bills. We saw just how valuable Nix was to the Broncos after that game, because a fractured ankle kept him out of the AFC Championship.
Nix is a dual threat at the position, he's clutch, and the Broncos added Jaylen Waddle to the mix this year. If he can be more consistent, the MVP -- or even just some votes -- is not completely out of the question
9. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
The running back is not only en vogue again in the NFL today, but some of the league's most dynamic weapons play the position again.
Bijan Robinson might have a case as the most dangerous playmaker in the NFL right now, putting him right in the middle of the league MVP conversation.
Historically speaking, the non-quarterbacks are much more likely to win NFL Offensive Player of the Year, because this award almost always goes to a QB. But for Robinson, the unwritten rules can be broken.
The All-Pro is fresh off of the best season of his NFL career in which he averaged 6.3 yards per touch, the highest average out of three seasons so far despite slightly topping his 365 touches from a season ago (366 in 2025). Robinson accounted for 2,298 yards of offense and 11 total touchdowns. If he can repeat in the yardage department and add another 7 or 8 touchdowns (which is not impossible), he could be an MVP.
8. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
If Christian McCaffrey isn't a viable MVP candidate going into the 2026 season, then the award means nothing.
There are few players more valuable to their team than McCaffrey is to the 49ers, and the proof is there for everyone to see. When McCaffrey is healthy, the 49ers are a legitimate Super Bowl contender in the NFC. When he's not healthy, they're not. It's really as simple as that.
McCaffrey was just selected to his third 1st-team All-Pro team, and now has three seasons at the NFL level with over 2,000 yards from scrimmage. Considering injuries have been a rather significant part of his story, that's mind-boggling.
He finished 4th in the MVP voting a year ago, so even if he repeats last year's numbers (easier said than done), he will be right back in the conversation.
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