The case for a non-quarterback to win NFL MVP

With only four weeks remaining in the NFL regular season, the MVP race is tightening. 

Of the 10 players with the best odds to win the award, per oddschecker, eight of them play quarterback. However, the remaining skill-position players — Miami WR Tyreek Hill and San Francisco RB Christian McCaffrey — may be most worthy of the accolade. But they face uphill battle to receive the honor, with running back Adrian Peterson being the last non-QB named MVP in 2012.

When looking at which player is truly "most valuable" to their team, Hill likely leads the pack. The 29-year-old is second in the NFL in receptions (97) and first in receiving touchdowns (12) and yards (1,542). Even more impressive, he's on pace to become the first player in league history to amass 2,000 receiving yards in a season (2,016).

Hill proved how valuable he is to the Dolphins on Monday night against the Titans. After the All-Pro wideout exited the game with an ankle injury late in the first quarter, Miami's offense sputtered, scoring just seven points by halftime. It was only when he returned in the third quarter that the Dolphins showed life, though Hill remained limited in the second half of the 28-27 defeat.

McCaffrey, meanwhile, has cemented himself as one of the most important pieces on one of the NFL's best offenses. The workhorse running back ranks  first in rushing yards (1,177) and second in the league in carries (226) and rushing touchdowns (12). In the 49ers' 28-16 win over the Seahawks in Week 14, he rushed 16 times for 145 yards, marking a league-leading fifth game with 100+ rushing yards this season.

Despite putting up incredible numbers and carrying their teams to victories this season, neither Hill nor McCaffrey is likely to be named MVP. The reasoning is simple: It's a quarterback award.

Quarterback is often considered the most demanding position in sports. With the ball in their hands on nearly every offensive snap, QBs have the most pressure on their shoulders to make plays and avoid mistakes. As such, these are the players who are routinely credited for a team's success — or failure.

Even in the 2023 season, when passing stats are down across the board, the six players with the best odds to win MVP are quarterbacks. Dallas' Dak Prescott — who has the best odds as of Tuesday — is on pace to throw for 4,583 yards, 37 touchdowns and eight interceptions, per espn.com. Patrick Mahomes amassed 5,250 passing yards, 41 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions last season en route to winning MVP.

In the absence of their top skill-position players, other MVP front-runners struggled mightily in Week 14. Quarterbacks Tua Tagovailoa (Miami), C.J. Stroud (Houston) and Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville) played without their No. 1 target for all or most of the game (Hill, Tank Dell and Christian Kirk, respectively) and in turn went a combined 61-of-106 for 588 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.

A lot can change in several weeks, but Hill and McCaffrey have proved more than worthy of the MVP award. If form holds, though, they can forget about the award — and that's a shame.