The National Football League Most Valuable Player Award is the most prestigious regular season honour in American football. Multiple organisations, including the Associated Press (AP) and the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA), present the MVP award, with the AP award being highlighted annually at the NFL Honours ceremony since 2011.
Historically, the first MVP-like award was the Joe F. Carr Trophy, presented by the NFL from 1938 to 1946. Over the years, several organisations have contributed to the MVP legacy, such as Sporting News, United Press International (UPI), and the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), which awarded the Jim Thorpe Trophy.
Among the notable MVP winners, Peyton Manning holds the record with five awards, followed closely by Aaron Rodgers with four. Legendary figures like Tom Brady, Jim Brown, and Johnny Unitas have each won the award three times. Lamar Jackson recently joined the elite group of multiple MVP winners, alongside generational Chief Patrick Mahomes.
Already the 2024 MVP race is generating buzz. Reigning winners Mahomes and Jackson are again among the top contenders, as are fellow quarterbacks Joe Burrow and second-year star C.J. Stroud.
The MVP award remains predominantly quarterback-centric, with 11 consecutive winners hailing from this position. However, exceptional performances from other positions, akin to Adrian Peterson's 2012 triumph, can still stake their claim.
Running back Christian McCaffrey, wide receiver Tyreek Hill and linebacker Micah Parsons are a few names in the box-seat for non-quarterback contention, after multiple seasons of historical production and impact.
Here is the full list of MVP winners through all of NFL history:
- 2023:ย Lamar Jacksonย (Quarterback -ย Baltimore Ravens)
- 2022:ย Patrick Mahomesย (Quarterback -ย Kansas City Chiefs)
- 2021:ย Aaron Rodgersย (Quarterback -ย Green Bay Packers)
- 2020: Aaron Rodgers (Quarterback - Green Bay Packers)
- 2019: Lamar Jackson (Quarterback - Baltimore Ravens)
- 2018: Patrick Mahomes (Quarterback - Kansas City Chiefs)
- 2017:ย Tom Bradyย (Quarterback -ย New England Patriots)
- 2016:ย Matt Ryanย (Quarterback -ย Atlanta Falcons)
- 2015:ย Cam Newtonย (Quarterback -ย Carolina Panthers)
- 2014: Aaron Rodgers (Quarterback - Green Bay Packers)
- 2013: Peyton Manning (Quarterback -ย Denver Broncos)
- 2012:ย Adrian Petersonย (Running Back -ย Minnesota Vikings)
- 2011: Aaron Rodgers (Quarterback - Green Bay Packers)
- 2010: Tom Brady (Quarterback - New England Patriots)
- 2009: Peyton Manning (Quarterback -ย Indianapolis Colts)
- 2008: Peyton Manning (Quarterback - Indianapolis Colts)
- 2007: Tom Brady (Quarterback - New England Patriots)
- 2006: LaDainian Tomlinson (Running Back - San Diego Chargers)
- 2005: Shaun Alexander (Running Back -ย Seattle Seahawks)
- 2004: Peyton Manning (Quarterback - Indianapolis Colts)
- 2003: Peyton Manning (Quarterback - Indianapolis Colts)
- 2003: Steve McNair (Quarterback -ย Tennessee Titans)
- 2002: Rich Gannon (Quarterback - Oakland Raiders)
- 2001: Kurt Warner (Quarterback - St. Louis Rams)
- 2000: Marshall Faulk (Running Back - St. Louis Rams)
- 1999: Kurt Warner (Quarterback - St. Louis Rams)
- 1998: Terrell Davis (Running Back - Denver Broncos)
- 1997: Barry Sanders (Running Back -ย Detroit Lions)
- 1997: Brett Favre (Quarterback - Green Bay Packers)
- 1996: Brett Favre (Quarterback - Green Bay Packers)
- 1995: Brett Favre (Quarterback - Green Bay Packers)
- 1994: Steve Young (Quarterback -ย San Francisco 49ers)
- 1993: Emmitt Smith (Running Back -ย Dallas Cowboys)
- 1992: Steve Young (Quarterback - San Francisco 49ers)
- 1991: Thurman Thomas (Running Back -ย Buffalo Bills)
- 1990: Joe Montana (Quarterback - San Francisco 49ers)
- 1989: Joe Montana (Quarterback - San Francisco 49ers)
- 1988: Boomer Esiason (Quarterback -ย Cincinnati Bengals)
- 1987: John Elway (Quarterback - Denver Broncos)
- 1986: Lawrence Taylor (Linebacker -ย New York Giants)
- 1985:ย Marcus Allenย (Running Back - Los Angeles Raiders)
- 1984: Dan Marino (Quarterback -ย Miami Dolphins)
- 1983: Joe Theismann (Quarterback - Washington Redskins)
- 1982: Mark Moseley (Placekicker - Washington Redskins)
- 1981: Ken Anderson (Quarterback - Cincinnati Bengals)
- 1980: Brian Sipe (Quarterback -ย Cleveland Browns)
- 1979: Earl Campbell (Running Back - Houston Oilers)
- 1978: Terry Bradshaw (Quarterback -ย Pittsburgh Steelers)
- 1977: Walter Payton (Running Back -ย Chicago Bears)
- 1976: Bert Jones (Quarterback - Baltimore Colts)
- 1975: Fran Tarkenton (Quarterback - Minnesota Vikings)
- 1974: Ken Stabler (Quarterback - Oakland Raiders)
- 1973: O.J. Simpson (Running Back - Buffalo Bills)
- 1972: Larryย Brownย (Running Back - Washington Redskins)
- 1971: Alan Page (Defensive Tackle - Minnesota Vikings)
- 1970: John Brodie (Quarterback - San Francisco 49ers)
- 1969: Roman Gabriel (Quarterback -ย Los Angeles Rams)
- 1968: Earl Morrall (Quarterback - Baltimore Colts)
- 1967: Johnny Unitas (Quarterback - Baltimore Colts)
- 1966: Bart Starr (Quarterback - Green Bay Packers)
- 1965: Jim Brown (Running Back - Cleveland Browns)
- 1964: Johnny Unitas (Quarterback - Baltimore Colts)
- 1963: Y.A. Tittle (Quarterback - New York Giants)
- 1962: Jim Taylor (Fullback - Green Bay Packers)
- 1961: Paul Hornung (Halfback - Green Bay Packers)
- 1960: Norm Van Brocklin (Quarterback -ย Philadelphia Eagles)
- 1959: Johnny Unitas (Quarterback - Baltimore Colts)
- 1958: Jim Brown (Running Back - Cleveland Browns)
- 1957: Jim Brown (Running Back - Cleveland Browns)
- 1956: Frank Gifford (Halfback - New York Giants)
- 1955: Otto Graham (Quarterback - Cleveland Browns)
- 1954: Joe Perry (Fullback - San Francisco 49ers)
- 1953: Otto Graham (Quarterback - Cleveland Browns)
- 1952: Joe Perry (Fullback - San Francisco 49ers)
- 1951: Norm Van Brocklin (Quarterback - Los Angeles Rams)
- 1950: Otto Graham (Quarterback - Cleveland Browns)
- 1949: Charley Conerly (Quarterback - New York Giants)
- 1948: Pat Harder (Fullback - Chicago Cardinals)
- 1947: Sammy Baugh (Quarterback - Washington Redskins)
- 1946: Bill Dudley (Halfback - Pittsburgh Steelers)
- 1945: Charley Trippi (Halfback - Chicago Cardinals)
- 1944: Frank Sinkwich (Halfback - Detroit Lions)
- 1943: Sid Luckman (Quarterback - Chicago Bears)
- 1942: Don Hutson (End - Green Bay Packers)
- 1941: Joe Foss (Defensive Back - New York Giants)
- 1940: Ace Parker (Quarterback - Brooklyn Dodgers)
- 1939: Parker Hall (Quarterback - Cleveland Rams)
- 1938: Bob Monnett (Halfback - Green Bay Packers)
- 1937: Ed Danowski (Quarterback - New York Giants)
- 1936: Joe F. Carter (Fullback - Detroit Lions)
