A surprising pick for league MVP has emerged among bettors.
Per PointsBet SportsBook, 18.7 percent of bettors placed their MVP vote on Bears quarterback Justin Fields, the most among players at his position, and more than Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes and Cincinnati's Joe Burrow combined.
Justin Fields has more NFL MVP bets than Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow combined
— PointsBet Sportsbook (@PointsBetUSA) August 2, 2023
Justin Fields 18.7%
Jalen Hurts 12.3%
Patrick Mahomes 9.3%
Joe Burrow 8.2%
Aaron Rodgers 6.9% pic.twitter.com/tOB6PTB4CU
Per OddsChecker, Fields holds the 10th-best chance (+2500) of winning the award. While Fields winning would yield a bigger reward, betting on him isn't a brilliant move since it's improbable.
Fields flashed exceptional athleticism as a runner last season, rushing for the seventh-most yards in the NFL (1,143 in 15 games). As a passer, however, he must improve. Through his first two seasons, the 24-year-old completed 59.7 percent of his passes and logged a 79.7 passer rating.
Chicago made several moves this offseason that should help Fields refine his game, such as trading for wide receiver DJ Moore and signing tight end Cole Kmet to a four-year contract extension.
Chicago solidifying the receiving corps has given the young QB more confidence and a better command of the offense during the beginning of training camp.
"There's no confusion there at all," Bears WR Darnell Mooney recently said of Fields, via ESPN's Courtney Cronin. "He's just 'I know where to go with the ball. I know where this play is designed for. I know the coverage I want to get this done in.' Even during walk-throughs, he will do a two-minute drill, and he's calling plays himself. That's something he wasn't able to do last year."
Fields could become one of the most improved players in the NFL this season if he continues on this trajectory, but don't bet on him to win MVP because it's a quantum leap he's not ready to make.
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