Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been named the NFL MVP for the 2022-2023 season. Mahomes won the award at the NFL Honors ceremony on Thursday night, beating out four other finalists: Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson.
Patrick Mahomes Wins 2022-2023 NFL MVP
Mahomes has been the NFL’s best quarterback since becoming the Chiefs’ starter and winning his first MVP in 2018, but he’d been held in check in terms of awards voting over the past several seasons.
He was outstanding in 2019 but missed parts of three games. In 2020, Mahomes led the league in passing yards per game but finished a distant third in MVP voting to Aaron Rodgers. Last year, Mahomes posted his worst season on record, throwing a career-high 13 interceptions while Rodgers won his second consecutive MVP.
However, Mahomes rounded back into form in 2022. Despite playing without Tyreek Hill, who was traded to the Miami Dolphins before the season, Mahomes led the NFL in nearly every passing metric.
He threw for a league-best 5,250 yards, 500+ more than second-place Justin Herbert. Mahomes paced the NFL in touchdown passes (41), touchdown rate (6.3%), and passing first downs (272).
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Mahomes wasn’t simply reliant on volume — he was efficient, too. He finished with a 77.5 QBR, six points better than Allen. Mahomes also led all quarterbacks in expected points added per play (0.302) and ranked second in adjusted net yards per attempt (7.51).
Kansas City’s offense didn’t take a step back sans Hill, which is a testament to Mahomes’ inevitable production. No team scored more points than the Chiefs (496), while KC also finished first in yards (7,032), yards per play (6.4), points per drive (2.71), and first downs (408).
The three other quarterback finalists for MVP could have all laid claim to the award at various points this season.
Allen was the preseason favorite, but a series of multi-interception games impaired his track record. Hurts might have had a real shot at the award had he not missed two late-season games with a shoulder injury. And Burrow was exceptional down the stretch but was held down by his poor performances during the early portion of the campaign.
Mahomes Joins Legendary MVP Company
Mahomes now owns two MVP trophies at the age of 27, putting him on a historic pace. He figures to be the presumptive favorite for the better part of the next decade, meaning he could chase Peyton Manning’s record five MVP awards by the time he hangs up his cleats.
Mahomes becomes just the 10th player in NFL history to win multiple MVPs, joining an illustrious list:
- Peyton Manning: 5
- Aaron Rodgers: 4
- Tom Brady: 3
- Jim Brown: 3
- Brett Favre: 3
- Johnny Unitas: 3
- Patrick Mahomes: 2
- Joe Montana: 2
- Kurt Warner: 2
- Steve Young: 2
If the Chiefs win the Super Bowl on Sunday, Mahomes could also become the 10th player to win the MVP and the Lombardi Trophy in the same season:
- 1966 | Green Bay Packers QB Bart Starr
- 1978 | Pittsburgh Steelers QB Terry Bradshaw
- 1982 | Washington K Mark Moseley
- 1986 | New York Giants LB Lawrence Taylor
- 1989 | San Francisco 49ers QB Joe Montana
- 1993 | Dallas Cowboys RB Emmitt Smith
- 1994 | San Francisco 49ers QB Steve Young
- 1996 | Green Bay Packers QB Brett Favre
- 1999 | St. Louis Rams QB Kurt Warner