The race for NFL MVP in the 2026 season is going to be fascinating right from the jump this season.
There are, of course, some of the most obvious candidates around the league like reigning MVP Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams, but which players could be the biggest sleepers for the award?
Specifically in the NFC, there are some fun sleeper candidates for the MVP award who have some major hurdles to clear, but could find themselves in the conversation. Nobody expected Sam Darnold to be in the MVP conversation during the 2024 season, but he finished 10th in voting during his first year with the Vikings.
Who are the top sleeper candidates for MVP in the NFC entering the 2026 season? We've got four names we're keeping an eye on.
Top 4 sleeper NFL MVP candidates from the NFC entering the 2026 season
4. Jaxson Dart, QB, New York Giants
It's difficult to put a player like Jaxson Dart in this conversation without really knowing whether or not Malik Nabers is going to be available and healthy throughout the course of the 2026 season. But that could also significantly help Dart's case if he's able to put up numbers without Nabers, like he did during the 2025 season.
Dart is one of the most interesting young quarterbacks in the NFL right now. The Giants made the somewhat surprising decision to trade up for him during the 2025 NFL Draft, and he showed that he probably should have been in the discussion for a top-10 distinction with his outstanding arm talent, poise, and dual-threat abilities.
Appearing in 14 games with just 12 starts, Dart managed to pile up nearly 2,300 passing yards with 15 touchdowns (just 5 interceptions as well as 487 rushing yards with 9 touchdowns on the ground. The production, especially considering all of the circumstances, was quite impressive.
Dart has a chance to really put himself on the map this season.
3. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions
With no David Montgomery in the mix anymore, the Lions are going to be leaning on Jahmyr Gibbs more than ever.
And that's really saying something.
Gibbs has touched the ball 623 times over the past two seasons combined, including a career-high 320 touches this past season. The Lions might want to get more bang for their buck out of each touch Gibbs receives, but the offense is going to flow through him no matter what the numbers look like.
This is one of the most dynamic weapons in the NFL, and Lions OC Drew Petzing is going to make defenses account for him on every snap. Up to this point, Gibbs has only finished as a finalist for Offensive Player of the Year once (2024), so the idea of him winning league MVP -- especially as a non-quarterback -- feels extremely far-fetched.
That's why he's one of our top sleepers. If any non-quarterback is going to win the MVP award in 2026, Gibbs would be on a very short list of players to consider.
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