Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is considered the favorite for the NFL MVP for the second consecutive season, but Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians is imploring voters to consider giving it to someone else. That someone is Tom Brady.
Arians went to bat for Brady with some strong words in a press conference the day after the Buccaneers’ last regular-season game.
“I think if you don’t get it, it’s a sham,” Arians said.
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And why does Brady deserve the award, in Arians’ opinion?
“Most completions, 5,000 yards, touchdowns, the full nine yards,” Arians said. “For me, it’s not even a close race.”
In fact, Brady had an extremely impressive season. He completed 67.5 percent of his passes, his highest mark since 2007, for 5,316 yards and 43 touchdowns, leading in the league. His total passing yards was the third-most in league history and by far the most ever thrown by a quarterback over 40.
Brady threw more passes than anyone else in the league at 719, so it certainly helped his numbers. Still, the fact that he’s producing like this at age 44 is unprecedented. As such, it’s easy to see why Arians thinks Brady should be the MVP.
That said, is Brady a better MVP candidate than Rodgers? That’s where the big debate lies, as Rodgers has also posted some great numbers this season. Here’s how the two quarterbacks compare to each other.
| Statistics Category | tom brady | Aaron Rogers |
| Team record | 13-4 | 13-4 * |
| % completion | 67.5 | 68.9 |
| Passing yards | 5,316 | 4,115 |
| Passing TD | 43 | 37 |
| INT | 12 | 4 |
| Total attempts | 719 | 531 |
| yards per attempt | 7.4 | 7.7 |
* The Packers are 13-3 when Rodgers starts. Game lost due to COVID-19 protocols.
Brady’s counting stats are better than Rodgers’. However, Rodgers has proven to be more efficient than Brady, outperforming him in terms of completion percentage, yards per attempt, and TD-to-INT ratio. So you could make a case for any of them.
Rodgers is currently the big favorite to win the award. It has odds of -480, for FanDuel bookmaker, while Brady’s chances are +380. Maybe something will change before the voting is complete, but you can’t go wrong with either pick.
Well, unless you’re Bruce Arians. In that case, the answer is clearly Brady.