The 2024 NFL Season is still several months away, but that won't stop us from covering 10 potential MVP candidates. In what has essentially turned into the "best quarterback" award, the NFL MVP is the best individual recognition a player can get besides earning the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. Last year, Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson won his second MVP award since 2019.
However, there really was no clear favorite for most of the season, and even San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey had a legitimate shot at the award. Well, 2024 will be a new season, so could that mean there are different MVP candidates? Let's look at the 10 most likely.
10 way too early MVP candidates for the 2024 NFL Season
1. Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
It's only fair to put the reigning MVP at the top of this list. Lamar Jackson didn't exactly fill up the stat sheet in 2023, but was good enough to win the award. The Baltimore Ravens earning the top seed in the AFC was largely due to Jackson, but their defense definitely more than held their own. You have to figure that Jackson stands at the top of many MVP candidate lists.
2. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
Winning the MVP award in 2018 and 2022, Patrick Mahomes would be a first-ballot Hall of Famer if he would retire tomorrow. Helping lead the Kansas City Chiefs to three Super Bowls over the last five seasons, Mahomes is simply not from this planet. Statistically, he was quite average in 2023, but it clearly did not matter when the playoffs started.
3. CJ Stroud, QB, Houston Texans
Two of my personal bold predictions for 2024 is that Houston Texans QB CJ Stroud wins the MVP and the Texans win the Super Bowl. Their turnaround from two seasons ago is remarkable, and it was fueled primarily by Stroud turning into a top-10 QB in his rookie season. There isn't a lot to dislike about the Texans roster, and with Stefon Diggs now in the mix, Stroud is going is going to have a ton of weaponry to use in 2024.
4. Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
Is Joe Burrow... injury prone? I hope not, but when he is healthy and playing, there isn't a single QB in the NFL right now who can go toe-to-toe with Patrick Mahomes. In fact, the only playoff loss that Mahomes has suffered not including Tom Brady is at the hands of Joe Burrow. Burrow is surgical in the pocket and if he can stay healthy for 17 games in 2024, his name will certainly be near the top of the MVP race.
5. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
A bit of a controversial player, many people were of the opinion that Brock Purdy was a product of the system. In San Francisco, they have the best group of offensive play-makers in the NFL and one of the three-best offensive play-callers in the league. However, both things can be true:
Brock Purdy is very good AND so is the situation around him.
For that reason, it's not crazy to suggest that Purdy will again find himself near the top of the NFL MVP list as we progress through the season. He may never win one, but there isn't a reason to keep him off this list.