I don't agree with the writer but his thinking might be how can he be the most valuable player in the league if he's knowingly putting his team at risk. He's the clear MVP in spite of that for me but it may not be entirely personal from the writer.

That's a completely different conversation though. Not putting his football team ahead of his own views on his health and what goes in his body is a slippery slope and should have nothing to do with an award and certainly shouldn't be argued that it makes him selfish. It's his body.

I am vaccinated , I think people who are refusing to get vaccinated for most reasons are dumb. I don't think that applies here though in any context of his value even if I do wish he would get vaccinated for my own selfish reasons of we can't have him missing a playoff game.

One interesting thing is that sacrificing your body and playing through injuries for the good of the team is precisely the culture of football. Players routinely get pain killer injections just to get on the field or try to play through a concussion. Hell, Ronnie Lott cut off his finger so he could play a game. I don't think players should do these things, but it's clearly the culture.

Ted Williams way back in the day lost the MVP vote cause sportwriters didnt like him, at the end of the day it the MVP not a popularity contest

That’s a fallacy.

glennstout.com/the-case-of-the-1947-mvp-ballot/

Jan 5, 2022 16:00:52 GMT Gyro LC said:

One interesting thing is that sacrificing your body and playing through injuries for the good of the team is precisely the culture of football. Players routinely get pain killer injections just to get on the field or try to play through a concussion. Hell, Ronnie Lott cut off his finger so he could play a game. I don't think players should do these things, but it's clearly the culture.

I don’t think that’s the same thing as dealing with a fairly new vaccine.

Also Rodgers hasn’t missed a snap because of his broken toe , doesn’t sound like a ton but he could easily have opted out of a few takes to allow it to heal and didn’t. Same with delaying surgery.

He’s shown his willingness to be out there and play through pain and discomfort and take those exact shots in his foot you’re talking about. The vaccine is clearly different for him.

For what it's worth I believe the writer was actually referring more to the preseason drama with Rodgers rather than his unvaccinated status - although in my opinion that has even less relevance to the MVP award.

I don't think there's much to pick between Rodgers and Brady and I don't really understand why the betting odds are as in favour of Aaron as they are. Same goes for Comeback Player which I would have thought would have strongly titled in favour of Burrow over the past few weeks, yet Dak is still surprisingly the favourite.

He's had a better season in almost every way , especially efficiency? He's done so with a practice squad offensive line and cut candidates? He's had all of his top receivers miss games and kept on winning and producing including traveling on the road to beat an unbeaten team with Juwan Winfree and 34 year old Randall Cobb?

Brady lost Godwin and Evans and couldn't complete a 7 yard pass. Brady loses Godwin in general and he struggles to beat the abysmal Jets.

And Rodgers has a pretty substantial lead in all advanced categories. And has been incredible down the stretch with 18 touchdowns and 0 picks.

It's not that close of a contest at this point because Rodgers has been better in every facet of the game.

MVP - Jonathan Taylor. The Colts are nothing without him. Same can be said for Rodgers and Green Bay and he’s also deserving, but if I’m voting I’m voting for Taylor.

OPOY - Kupp has been disgusting. So has Lockett but he struggled when Wilson was hurt. Didn’t have the same chemistry with Geno but Geno sucks so…I also like Diggs here but head to head with Kupp, Kupp has been more of a stand out.

DPOY - TJ Watt has been great all season. So has Garrett. Either one is worthy imo.

COTY - I agree with UT saying Matt Lafleur. The fact that the Rodgers vaccine nonsense didn’t tank their season has a lot to do with a coach being able to separate the locker room from the noise outside. I think he deserves it for that alone.

CBPOY - Dak. I don’t think it’s even close at this point. He’s had a great season. Fuck the Cowboys.

To be fair UT reasoning to why Aaron Rodgers should win MVP is exactly the reason why Vrabel should win COTY.

There was a good thread on Reddit discussing in depth what HR is talking about - that Brady if you look at the numbers is having a season comparable to Rodgers. It follows PFF’s claim that Brady should win over Rodgers. It’s an interesting discussion. Rodgers leads by about 10% in passer rating and ANY/A and Brady leads by about 25% in yardage and 15% in touchdowns. PFF has it for Brady and QBR has it for Rodgers. Why is not being considered a close race? Even in QB wins there’s only 1 to separate them.

Jan 6, 2022 19:18:36 GMT KING KID said:

To be fair UT reasoning to why Aaron Rodgers should win MVP is exactly the reason why Vrabel should win COTY.

Aaron Rodgers and the Packers were 24-23-1 in the previous 3 seasons before LaFleur.

Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are 39-9 since LaFleur.

I see a pretty stark contrast in the difference LaFleur has made for this team.

Jan 6, 2022 19:48:25 GMT Todd said:

There was a good thread on Reddit discussing in depth what HR is talking about - that Brady if you look at the numbers is having a season comparable to Rodgers. It follows PFF’s claim that Brady should win over Rodgers. It’s an interesting discussion. Rodgers leads by about 10% in passer rating and ANY/A and Brady leads by about 25% in yardage and 15% in touchdowns. PFF has it for Brady and QBR has it for Rodgers. Why is not being considered a close race? Even in QB wins there’s only 1 to separate them.

Aaron Rodgers EPA per play is also elite , depending on where you value that. Last I read the difference between his EPAPP and the second place QB is a wider margin that the 2nd QB and the 11th - to put into perspective on how incredibly efficient of a year he’s having compared to anyone else.

Robert Mays made a much more concise and informative argument as to why Rodgers is the MVP and why his numbers are more impressive today on the Athletic pod. I think it starts around 55 minutes.

Jan 6, 2022 21:17:46 GMT UT said:

Jan 6, 2022 19:18:36 GMT KING KID said:

To be fair UT reasoning to why Aaron Rodgers should win MVP is exactly the reason why Vrabel should win COTY.

Aaron Rodgers and the Packers were 24-23-1 in the previous 3 seasons before LaFleur.

Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are 39-9 since LaFleur.

I see a pretty stark contrast in the difference LaFleur has made for this team.

I know they extended the regular season but I’m still pretty sure it was only to 17 games a season. 39-9 doesn’t make you coach of the year. 

Yea but it does show the fallacy in thinking LaFleur doesn’t deserve his recognition because he has Aaron Rodgers when clearly the last regime also has Rodgers and won 15 less games over the same span.

MVP: Aaron Rodgers
OPOY: Cooper Kupp
DPOY: TJ Watt
Coach: Mike Vrabel
Comeback: Joe Burrow
OROY: Ja'Marr Chase
DROY: Micah Parsons
Air: Tom Brady
Ground: Jonathan Taylor
Walter Payton: Andrew Whitworth

I wish I'd put some money on Burrow to win comeback player - I posted about that when he was something like a $4 outsider to Prescott. Everything else went as expected. Thankfully Rodgers won so we didn't have to endure a braindead cancel culture discussion. He's the fifth player to achieve back to back MVP awards, and moves clear into second place behind Peyton Manning with four MVPs.

HOF Class of 2022: Tony Boselli, LeRoy Butler, Sam Mills, Richard Seymour, Bryant Young, Cliff Branch, Dick Vermeil, Art McNally

DeMarcus Ware the fairly obvious snub - 9th all time in sacks. Jared Allen just 2.5 behind him also didn't make it. Maybe a bit of a case for Devin Hester too although I don't think it's an outrage that he wasn't first ballot.

Jan 4, 2022 2:00:09 GMT UT said:

MVP - Rodgers has it locked down barring an insane amount of voters going awry because of off the field stuff.

OROY - After Chases performance yesterday he has to take it back.

DROY - Parsons lock.

COTY - Its become a three way race between Flower , Vrabel and Taylor. Id still give it to Flower but any of the three I get. Money on Vrabel.

CBPOTY - it’s going to be Dak but it should be Burrow

OPOY - Kupp edges out Taylor

DPOY - Pribably going to be Watt. Bleh.

Pretty much nailed my final predictions aside from Burrow. Who I thought should have won it.

Should have bet them all!

It’s about time Bryant Young got in the HOF

Feb 11, 2022 3:57:09 GMT pduh said:

It’s about time Bryant Young got in the HOF

"Overdue players"  seems to be the theme this year.  Richard Seymour, LeRoy Butler, Cliff Branch and Sam Mills also got in.

Feb 11, 2022 3:57:09 GMT pduh said:

It’s about time Bryant Young got in the HOF

I'm happy Bryant is going in. He's a great guy and really respectful. I remember the first time i was introduced to him back in high school by my mentor, they are best friends.

I'm also glad LeRoy Butler and Sam Mills got in.

Wow I can't believe it took Cliff Branch this long to get in...smh

i'm not sure about Tony Boselli. Was he good? Yes, but his career was very short. Maybe when they put in Sterling Sharpe, I'll have a change of hearts. 


Richard Seymour on the other hand....no. Yes i'm being a hater right now. Until New England admits that they cheated Carolina Panthers out of a Super Bowl, none of those punks from the early 00's should get in. Except Troy Brown and Drew Bledsoe. Troy Brown because he was a beast and Drew because I knew his grandma, sweet lady.

People putting Matt Stafford in the Hall of Fame are ridiculous. One Super Bowl win isn't enough - the football HOF is about sustained greatness. There are loads of guards, centers, and kickers that are light years better at their positions than Stafford is a QB and they won't get a whiff of the Hall.

Where did the Stafford HOF argument even come from? I saw Richard Sherman getting upset about it but not the initial comment - I'm guessing it was someone not worth paying attention to like Skip Bayless?

He'd have to have a really strong final five years of his career to make it, either winning a second ring or having at least a couple of all-pro type seasons. Eli and Ben feel like the cut off point to me.

I don't know who started it, but it's been talked about in several places. Just saw the latest Bill Simmons podcast talks about it (not sure which way it goes).

I heard people talking about how Stafford “needs” to win that SB to be in the HOF conversation BEFORE the SB started, but it’s definitely a tough one to decipher. He was in a shitty organization for so long but still put up solid numbers. I don’t know. I’d actually put him in the conversation, but it’s definitely going to take more then one ring to solidify him in it.

Feb 15, 2022 23:13:09 GMT KING KID said:

I heard people talking about how Stafford “needs” to win that SB to be in the HOF conversation BEFORE the SB started, but it’s definitely a tough one to decipher. He was in a shitty organization for so long but still put up solid numbers. I don’t know. I’d actually put him in the conversation, but it’s definitely going to take more then one ring to solidify him in it.

It's his lack of top-5 seasons that is the issue. Ben didn't get the SB MVPs either but he had four or five seasons where he was definitely a top-5 QB. Eli doesn't have those either but he has the truly iconic postseasons, Man of the Year award, and the iron man streak which I think are enough to compensate. 

Right now I have Stafford in the Hall of Very Good, in the line behind Matt Ryan who has 10,000 more passing yards and an MVP. 

Yeah but Stafford put those numbers up IN DETROIT. Where QB's go to die. It also pretty telling that the second he got on a good team he wins the Super Bowl.

Of course but you can't factor in hypotheticals. Who knows how good Archie Manning could have been if he wasn't stuck on the Saints of the 70s, who knows how successful Tom Brady would have been if he didn't link up with Bill Belichick.

I expect a HOF QB to put the team on his back and win despite their circumstances. Stafford has a history of doing boneheaded things all on his own, never mind the Lions. And not the fun Brett Favre boneheaded plays.

Feb 16, 2022 1:57:05 GMT Gyro LC said:

I expect a HOF QB to put the team on his back and win despite their circumstances. Stafford has a history of doing boneheaded things all on his own, never mind the Lions. And not the fun Brett Favre boneheaded plays.

Show me a single QB that could have won in Detroit with those same circumstances.  I'll wait.