Every NFL MVP from 1957 to present day

Well, if you are going to begin somewhere, this is a good place to begin, awards wise. The running back position was still front-and-center back in the 1950s, a time when a quarterback who could complete half his passes was a force to be reckoned with. Brown also happens to be the best back of his era, and in the running for the best back ever. Oh, and he was a rookie. Yes, in his first year in the NFL, and the first year of the AP MVP award, Brown won with 942 yards and nine touchdowns. In 12 games, mind you.

It did not take long for a repeat to happen. Brown’s 1957 season was impressive, but not remarkable. In 1958, he was truly remarkable. Heading into the 1958 campaign, the NFL record for rushing yards during the 12-game era was 1,146. Brown ran for 1,527 yards. He had 17 touchdowns. Raymond Berry was second with eight. Yeah, Brown had one of the best seasons of any player in NFL history.

Brown being the first MVP feels “right,” and Unitas being the first quarterback to win it has the same feel. When you think of NFL quarterbacks before the Super Bowl Era, and you are welcome into an esoteric club if you are like us on that front, you probably think of Unitas first and foremost. Leading the Colts to their second title in a row, Unitas led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns. Sure, he threw for 2,899 yards and 32 touchdowns against 14 picks, but this was a 12-gam season. Also, like we said, being a QB was different back then.

Van Brocklin became the first head coach of the Minnesota Vikings in 1961, but first, he had to wrap up his playing career. Yes, the Hall of Famer won MVP in his final season as a player. His numbers weren’t remarkable, but he led the Eagles to a 10-2 record at quarterback. Also, he was their punter because football was still kind of the Wild West, even in 1960.

Hornung is part of the rare club of guys who have won the Heisman and NFL MVP. He also went to Notre Dame and then played for the Packers in their glory years, so the dude is football royalty. That’s even with the season he missed on a gambling suspension. Hornung ran for 597 yards and eight touchdowns while adding 145 yards and two touchdowns through the air. Maybe that wasn’t enough alone, but he also went 15-for-22 on field goals and made all 41 of his extra points. Oh yeah, Hornung was also the Packers’ kicker.

Taylor isn’t as notable of a name as the guys surrounding him on this list, but he’s in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and he was no joke. He was also a fullback and in fact, the fullback that paired with halfback Hornung for the Packers. Playing the now-archaic position, Taylor led the NFL with 1,474 yards and a whopping 19 rushing touchdowns. The league had moved to 14 games the season prior, but that’s still impressive. Taylor would run for over 1,000 yards five seasons in a row.

Sure, “Y.A. Tittle” is a delightful name, but the quarterback was no joke as a player. He had already led the NFL twice in passing touchdowns prior to 1963, but the then-Giants quarterback had one more great season up his sleeve. He threw for over 3,000 yards and led the NFL with 36 touchdowns, but Tittle also led the league with a 60.2 completion percentage. In those days, getting over 60 percent was remarkable.

This may have been a “name recognition” award or perhaps a “quarterback of a great team award.” Unitas was, you know, a living legend, and the Colts went 12-2. On the other hand, he threw for 2,824 yards and a mere 19 touchdowns in 14 games. Maybe it was about efficiency? Unitas did lead the NFL in yards per attempt, and he only threw six interceptions. We’re a little skeptical, but the voters weren’t.

Brown famously retired early, but he got to bookend his career with gusto. He won MVP in both his first and last seasons. This time around, he ran for 1,544 yards and 17 touchdowns in 14 games. Yes, naturally, he led the NFL on both fronts.

If Unitas isn’t the most iconic pre-merger quarterback, it’s Starr. He’s helped by the fact the Packers won the first two Super Bowls, of course. Unitas won a few titles himself, though a couple were pre-Super Bowl, and Starr only has this one MVP. Not to knock Starr, an all-time great. In the Super Bowl I season, Starr was the picture of efficiency for the Pack. He completed a robust 66.1 percent of his passes, and while he only had 14 passing touchdowns, he threw only three interceptions.

And then Unitas would go ahead and stake his claim to the throne with his third, and final, MVP. Again, though, the Colts as a team played a key role, as they went 11-1-2, and Unitas did engineer four fourth-quarter comebacks. He also threw 16 picks against 20 touchdowns.

We have our first MVP who is not in the Hall of Fame. Morrall spent much of his career as a backup, but he excelled twice when called upon. In 1968, Morrall was traded to the Colts, and he ended up stepping in for Unitas, who didn’t make a regular-season start due to injury. Morrall led them to a 13-1 record and led the NFL in passing touchdowns with 26. And the other time? Well, in 1972, Bob Greise got hurt for the Dolphins and Morrall had to step in for nine games. Miami won all nine games. Also, every other game of the season. Yes, if Morrall hadn’t been up to the task, the undefeated Dolphins season wouldn’t have happened.

Gabriel is in a hall of fame, the College Football Hall of Fame. His NFL career was solid, he made four Pro Bowls, but his resume really boils down to two seasons. In 1969, playing for the Los Angeles Rams, Gabriel led the NFL with 24 touchdowns against only seven picks. By 1972, his knee and shoulder looked so bad an ironman QB (89 consecutive starts) missed time, and the Rams traded him to the Eagles. Gabriel went ahead and led the NFL with 3,219 passing yards and 23 touchdowns. Turns out, he had life in him for one more big season.

Brodie had a “grip it and rip it” mentality. Playing his entire NFL career with the 49ers, the quarterback twice led the NFL in passing attempts, three times in passing yards, and twice in passing touchdowns. Oh, and twice in interceptions as well, and he finished his career with more picks than passing scores. In 1970, though, the Niners went 10-3-1 and he led the NFL in yards, TDs, and, get this, interception percentage. Brodie’s “grip it and rip it” mentality didn’t end there. He twice competed in the U.S. Open and he won a Senior PGA event. Also, he was a Scientologist so, um, there’s that.

Page made history and is still in rarified air. He was the first defensive player to win MVP. The Hall of Fame defensive tackle also won his first of two Defensive Player of the Year awards. Besting Roger Staubach and Otis Taylor in a split vote (Page won with only 21.3 percent of the votes), he had nine sacks and two safeties in his history-making campaign.

No, not the Larry Brown that was a Super Bowl MVP. This Brown, a running back for Washington whose career was cut short by injuries (he was famed for a tenacious running style unexpected with his smaller frame), never won a Super Bowl. He did win MVP, though, in his last of four Pro Bowl seasons in a row. Brown only played in 12 games, but he led the NFL in rushing yards per game and in scrimmage yards, thanks to 473 yards in the passing offense.

The late O.J Simpson was incredibly successful on the football field. But his status as one of the most infamous figures of the 1990s and beyond makes him less fun to talk about. Simpson made history running for over 2,000 yards in 1973. Sure, he was great at football, but what he did off the field will overshadow his NFL career for eternity.

Given that he would, in time, make the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it’s a little surprising how long it took “Snake” Stabler to secure his footing in the Raiders’ lineup. He was a backup QB for years, and actually made his pro football debut with Spokane of the Continental Football League. Even in 1974, Stabler only started 13 of the Raiders’ 14 games, but he led the NFL with 26 passing touchdowns, and the Raiders went 11-2 in his starts.

Over his career, Tarkenton led the NFL in passing yards, passing touchdowns, and completion percentage, but never in the same season. The 1975 campaign for the Vikings was the passing touchdowns season, and his 64.2 completion percentage may not have led the league, but it was his personal high. By the end, Tarkenton was whipping the ball around at unprecedented levels. He threw the ball 425 times in 1975, which led the NFL.

Jones is one of those guys who managed to put it together for one season. In 1976, starting for the Colts, he led the league with 3,104 yards and threw 24 touchdowns against nine picks. Jones made his only Pro Bowl, All-Pro team, won Offensive Player of the Year, and MVP. Before, and after, 1976, Jones was just kind of a solid quarterback.

Payton took the mantle from Brown as the running back in the, um, running for best ever, but he only won MVP once. That happened in 1977, the NFL’s last 14-game season. Playing for the Bears, the only franchise he ever knew, Payton paced the NFL with 1,852 yards and 14 touchdowns, while averaging a robust 5.5 yards per carry.

Bradshaw quarterback the Steelers to four Super Bowls, and he is in the Hall of Fame, but in terms of his actual play, Bradshaw’s reputation is – to a degree! – overblown. After all, in his career he completed 51.2 percent of his passes with 212 touchdowns against 210 picks. Even in 1978, when he won his sole MVP, Bradshaw threw 20 interceptions. He also led the NFL with 28 touchdowns and, well, the Steelers went 14-2, so here we are.

Campbell was Offensive Player of the Year three seasons in a row. He had to settle for only one MVP, though, in the middle of that run. Shouldering a massive load (five seasons of over 300 carries and his hardnosed style likely contributed to later-in-life health issues), Campbell ran for 1,697 yards and a whopping 19 touchdowns for the Oilers.

Interestingly, the season Sipe led the NFL in passing touchdowns was 1979. The issue was he also led the NFL in interceptions. Sipe managed to throw for over 4,000 yards with 30 touchdowns the next season with the Browns, but also dropped his picks from 26 to 14. This is another of those cases: One Pro Bowl, one first-team All-Pro, and one MVP in Sipe’s career, all in one season.

Anderson is an overlooked ‘80s quarterback, a classic “Hall of Very Good” guy. The career-long Bengal, on occasion, led the NFL in efficiency and twice in passing yards. While he didn’t lead the NFL in anything (other than QB rating) in 1981, he did set personal highs with 3,754 passing yards and 29 passing touchdowns. Plus, Cincy went 12-4, so Anderson got his one MVP.

The 1982 season was the strike-shortened campaign, but even so, nothing will ever be as wild as Moseley winning MVP. You see, Moseley was a kicker. A kicker! A placekicker won MVP of the National Football League in the 1980s! He wasn’t even that good of a kicker, at that. The Washington ball-booter didn’t even attempt a field goal over 50 yards, and he missed three extra points. We all have our quibbles with awards voting across sports, but we’ll state on the record no award has even been as bad as Moseley’s MVP win.

Washington had back-to-back MVPs, and this time it made more sense. Theismann is known to a generation (or two) as a sportscaster, but he was a very good quarterback before his (infamous) leg injury that ended his career. Washington went 14-2, which helped, but Theismann also led the NFL in passing yards, touchdowns, and yards per attempt. You know, he would have been a solid winner for 1982 as well. Just saying.

In his first full season as an NFL starter, Marino reset the record books, becoming one of the easiest calls in MVP history. His numbers would be impressive even now, but in 1984, they were unheard of. The Hall of Famer threw for over 5,000 yards as well as 48 touchdowns, both of which were records. The latter stood until 2004, the former until 2011. Truly, Marino was ahead of his time. No wonder Hootie and the Blowfish loved him.

Allen is the only person with a Heisman, an NFL MVP, a college football title, a Super Bowl ring, and a Super Bowl MVP. That is both impressive, and also such an amalgamation of achievements as to be kind of irrelevant. In his MVP campaign with the Raiders, Allen ran for a league-high 1,759 yards. He “only” had 11 rushing scores, but he added 555 yards and three touchdowns through the air. Also, while Allen was a fumble-prone running back, he only coughed the ball up three times in 1985.

Thomas is, to date, the last defensive player to win MVP. Of course, he’s also considered by many the best defensive player in NFL history, so that kind of feels fitting. In 1986 he won his third Defensive Player of the Year award, but added an MVP due to his sheer forcefulness on that side of the ball. L.T. had 20.5 sacks, and that’s just the headliner for the Giants linebacker.

Surprisingly, like Marino, Elway only has one MVP, not only that, but he won it in a strike season where there were only 15 games, and three of them were played by scabs. Thus, Elway only played in 12 games, and he barely beat out Jerry Rice for the AP MVP, as Rice had 22 touchdowns (again, in 12 games). The Broncos QB threw for 3,198 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions, but he did lead three fourth-quarter comebacks, which means something to some voters.

The ‘80s were (nearly) bookended by Bengals quarterbacks winning MVP. Esiason is more famous than Sipe, owing to his time with the Jets and also his media career. The Bengals went 12-4 and while Esiason only just had a two-to-one TD-to-INT rate (28 of the former to 14 of the latter), he led the NFL in yards per attempt and quarterback rating.

You may be thinking, “Oh yes, of course, Montana started winning MVPs as soon as his career got cooking.” However, Montana did not win his first MVP until his time with the 49ers was almost over. He had been drafted in 1979, the full-time starter since 1981, and had three Super Bowl rings by 1989. Even though Montana missed three games in 1989, he led the NFL with a remarkable 70.2 completion percentage with 26 touchdowns and eight interceptions, plus three rushing scores for good measure.

While, at the time, the idea that 1990 would be Montana’s last as San Francisco’s starter probably seemed absurd, that was indeed the case. Good thing he got his second MVP in under the wire! Montana set a personal high with 3,944 passing yards, though also a personal high with 16 picks. That being said, the Niners went 14-1 in his 15 starts, so that certainly helped.

You don’t make it to four Super Bowls in a row (even if you lose them all) without a few Hall of Famers. Only one of Buffalo’s big stars won MVP, though, and it was running back Thomas. Though he missed a game, the back still ran for 1,407 yards and led the NFL at 4.9 yards per carry. While Thomas only managed seven rushing scores, he added five more through the air.

The reason the 49ers were willing to move on from Montana? Because they replaced him with another future Hall of Famer, and an MVP to boot. In 1992, as San Fran went 14-2, Young led the NFL in completion percentage and passing touchdowns. He also had his best season running the ball. A deft scrambler, Young ran for 537 yards and four touchdowns.

The NFL’s all-time leading rusher, Smith led the NFL in rushing yards four times in five seasons and rushing scores three times in four seasons. He won his MVP in a year where he actually missed a couple of games, but he did lead the NFL with 1,486 rushing yards at a robust 5.3 yards per carry. Smith only ran for nine touchdowns, but his 414 receiving yards were also a personal high.

It wasn’t quite the “last hurrah” for an era of the 49ers, but in 1994 they won their last Super Bowl, and it is the last season to date a Niner won MVP. Young had his best season. He completed an impressive 70.3 percent of his passes and led the NFL with 35 passing scores against only 10 picks. Throw in seven rushing touchdowns and Young put together the kind of season you expect from a future Hall of Famer.

Favre was always interesting on the field, you can give him that. When he retired he held the record for passing touchdowns, passing yards, but also interceptions. In 1995 Favre threw 13 picks, which was actually low for him, but also paced the NFL with 4,413 yards (including a memorable 99-yard touchdown pass) and 38 passing scores.

Favre went back-to-back with the Pack. He was slightly worse in 1996, though he had 39 passing touchdowns against his 13 interceptions. However, Green Bay went 13-3, after going 11-5 the year prior, so that helped one assumes.

Yes, Favre is technically the only player to win NFL MVP three years in a row. Of course, this time around he became one of the first-ever co-MVPs alongside the iconic Lions back Sanders. To many, then and now, Sanders should have been MVP (for what it’s worth, all the notable non-AP voting blocs went with Sanders). The Packers went 13-3 again, but Favre’s numbers dipped once more, this time 35 passing scores against 16 picks with fewer yards and a lower completion percentage. Sanders, meanwhile, became the third-ever back to run for over 2,000 yards with 14 total touchdowns. The Lions went 9-7, though, and some people think of wins as a quarterback stat.

Decades passed between Eric Dickerson and Sanders running for over 2,000 yards. We had to wait for the next 2,000-yard campaign for all of…zero seasons. Davis did it the next year. While his 2,008 yards just got him over the line, he ran for a whopping 21 touchdowns as well.

There’s a reason why they made a biopic about Warner called “American Underdog.” His starting history before taking over for the injured Trent Green in 1999? Three seasons in Arena Football, and one in NFL Europe. Warner took over for the Rams, led them to a 13-3 record, and threw an NFL-leading 41 touchdowns. The Rams won the Super Bowl, and Warner went from unknown to MVP.

The NFL MVP stayed in St. Louis. One of the best dual threats at running back, Faulk led the NFL with 5.4 yards per carry and 18 rushing touchdowns. On top of that, he added 81 catches for 830 yards and eight scores. Faulk was quite dynamic in the Rams high-flying offense.

Faulk actually won Offensive Player of the Year every season from 1999 through 2001. Two of those times, though, Warner took home MVP. This time, Warner’s win was a little less clear cut. Yes, he led the NFL in completion percentage, passing yards, and passing touchdowns. However, he also threw 22 picks and fumbled 10 times. The “Greatest Show on Turf” went 14-2, though, and Warner, as the quarterback, got a lot of credit there. More than Faulk, apparently.

After a journeyman career, Gannon joined the Raiders, and for four seasons in a row he made the Pro Bowl. His 2002 season was the last of those, and his last as a full-time starter, but he went out with a bang. Gannon threw the ball a whopping 618 times, completing 418 of them, both tops in the NFL. All that passing led to 4,689 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 10 picks.

This is not the last time we’ll see Manning on this list, but the first time he won MVP, he shared it. These two AFC South quarterbacks both had their argument. Peyton led the NFL in completion percentage and passing yards with 29 touchdowns against 10 picks. McNair, notably, only played in 14 games. However, he threw 24 touchdowns against seven picks and led the NFL in yards per attempt and QB rating. Also, he added four touchdowns on the ground. Manning, um, was never strong on the ground. So, who are you going with?

This time, there was no question about the MVP. Remember how we said Marino’s passing touchdown record stood until 2004? Well, you can figure it out. Peyton threw 49 touchdowns, and that was obviously going to win him a second MVP.

This was when running backs used to shoulder a significant load. Alexander carried the ball a whopping 370 times, but he made the most of that. The Seahawks back led the NFL with 1,880 rushing yards and 27 rushing scores. Add in one receiving TD, and Alexander set the record for most touchdowns in a season. Alas, after three seasons in a row with over 320 carries, Alexander would never play another full campaign.

Alexander didn’t even get to enjoy holding the touchdown record for more than one offseason. The Seahawks back was a “Hall of Very Good” player, but Tomlinson was a Hall of Famer. In Tomlinson’s best season, the Chargers legend led the NFL with 1,815 rushing yards, and he ran for 28 touchdowns. On top of that, L.T. was always a deft receiver and he added 58 catches for 508 yards and three scores. Oh, and while they didn’t count for his TD total, Tomlinson threw two touchdowns as well.

The Patriots had arguably the best regular season in history in 2007. You know, when they went 16-0. Brady and Randy Moss joined forces to both set records. Brady made history when he became the first quarterback to hit the 50-touchdown mark. If that wasn’t enough, he only threw eight interceptions.

Brady and Manning went back and forth in the battle to be named the best quarterback of all time. After Brady won his first MVP, Manning went and added his third. With 4,002 yards passing, 27 touchdowns, and 12 picks, this was far from Peyton’s best season, and he didn’t lead the NFL in anything of note. Well, other than fourth-quarter comebacks and game-winning drives, which counts for a lot to some.

Manning was a fan of going back-to-back, apparently. This year, the Colts went 14-2, with Manning and company pulling off seven fourth-quarterback comebacks. Beyond that, Manning set a personal best with a 68.8 completion percentage and he threw for an even 4,500 yards with 33 touchdowns and 16 picks. Once again, he wasn’t leading the way in any notable counting stats, but the numbers were clearly impressive in 2009.

Brady had to make sure he kept pace with Peyton the best he could. Although, Brady already had the rings debate going for him. The Pats went 14-2, and once again Brady was supremely efficient. He led the NFL with 36 touchdowns, and he threw only four interceptions. To only be picked off four times in 492 attempts? That’s really impressive, if not the kind of thing that wows you inherently.

Taking over for Brett Favre, Rodgers proved to be a better quarterback (and, somehow, a more problematic human being). People care less about quarterback rating these days, especially with QBR around and a better stat, but for what it’s worth, Rodgers set the NFL record for QB rating in 2011. He also threw a touchdown on nine percent of his throws, which led the league.

If you are an NFL fan, you likely know that MVP is basically a quarterback award these days. Between 2007 and the present, only one non-quarterback has won MVP, and he happens to be the best running back of his generation. How did Peterson overcome the love for the guys under center? Well, he ran for 2,097 yards. That’s the second-most yards in a season, and he added 12 rushing scores as well.

Manning added a fifth, and final, MVP in 2013. That is, to date, the record. This is the one that Peyton won with the Broncos. It was also, arguably, the best season a quarterback has ever had. He still holds the record for passing yards (5,477) and passing touchdowns (55) in a season.

Rodgers was very precise with ball positioning in 2014, and also got a little lucky. He threw for 4,381 yards and 38 touchdowns, both impressive, but only had five picks. Rodgers was intercepted on less than one percent of his passing attempts, which led the NFL.

As a rookie, Newton won Offensive Rookie of the Year and made the Pro Bowl. Hey, he was coming off winning a Heisman, so the expectations were high. A few years later, still quarterbacking the Panthers, Cam took home MVP. Carolina went 15-1, and Newton set a personal best with 35 passing scores, but his calling card was always his rushing ability. Cam also ran for 636 yards and 10 touchdowns.

“Matty Ice” was always quite good for the Falcons, and he had the feel of a guy who would end up in the Hall of Very Good. Then, the 2016 season happened, and suddenly the Hall of Fame felt plausible. Ryan rose above his many future Hall of Fame counterparts to win MVP. He set personal bests in completion percentage, passing yards, and touchdowns. His 38 touchdowns against seven interceptions and league-leading 9.3 yards per attempt did the trick.

Brady would play another five seasons after this one, and win two more Super Bowls, but this was the quarterback’s final MVP. His third win saw him lead the NFL in passing attempts and with his 4,577 passing yards. Brady tossed 32 touchdowns and eight picks in leading New England to a 13-3 record.

The torch was passed. Brady won his final MVP, and the quarterback who may someday pass him as the greatest of all time won his first. Kansas City’s new signal caller wasn’t technically a rookie, but he had started all of one game in his rookie campaign as Alex Smith’s backup. All Mahomes did was throw for 50 touchdowns and 5,097 yards. Yeah, that’s how to make your name known.

Jackson answered the question, “What if Michael Vick was also really good at throwing the football?” The best rushing quarterback of all time, Lamar set an NFL record with 1,206 yards on the ground. If that wasn’t enough, the Raven led the NFL with 36 passing touchdowns, and he only had six interceptions. Record-breaking rushing. High-level passing. Jackson was magical.

You know, there’s a reason why Rodgers has the interception percentage on his Wikipedia page while most quarterbacks don’t. It’s because he has led the NFL six times on that front, and has the lowest interception percentage in history. In 2020, the Pack quarterback led the NFL with an excellent 70.7 completion percentage and threw 48 touchdowns versus five picks.

Rodgers graduated from the rarified air of the three-timers club to the elite four-timers club, which is just him and Peyton. Efficient once again, Rodgers threw for 4,115 yards, 37 touchdowns, and only four picks. He also didn’t lose a single fumble, and only fumbled three times. When you turn the ball over that infrequently, it certainly helps.

It feels like Mahomes won’t be stopping at two, but he added that second MVP in 2022. He topped the NFL, now in the 17-game era, with 5,250 yards and 41 passing touchdowns, with only 12 picks. Mahomes also added 358 yards and four touchdowns on the ground without losing a single fumble.

In truth, after Jackson’s incredible MVP season, the Raven stagnated a bit. Defenses adapted faster than Jackson, or his offensive coaches, did. However, Jackson kept at it, and a new offensive coordinator in Todd Monken flipped the script. He set personal highs in completion percentage and passing yards with 24 passing scores against seven picks. Then, there’s the run game, naturally. Jackson added 821 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.