Going a step further from my break-down on running back accomplishments, let’s look at where receivers come out in the MVP discussions. This past season, Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase had his best year leading the league in production as just the 5th pass-catcher since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger to win the receiver ‘Triple Crown’ = the most receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns in a season.
While he was at it, he had the 2nd most receptions and yardage among the 4 other receivers that accomplished this feat, with the most touchdowns:
Cooper Kupp is the only one of the bunch to go to the Super Bowl in the season that he captured the receiver Triple Crown, also earning the Super Bowl MVP. Likewise, he’s the only one to be awarded Offensive Player of the Year for the achievement… although Jerry Rice was named the 1990 Sporting News Player of the Year (which is sort of a secondary MVP next to the official Associated Press MVP).
Receivers Keep Being Overlooked
It’s a remarkable oversight, considering that this accomplishment is rarer than a 2000-yard season by a running back in the post-merger era. However, nearly half of the 9 running backs in the 2k Club were awarded an MVP. No receiver, Triple Crown or otherwise, has ever won that accolade since its establishment in 1957. Two defenders and a field goal kicker have been named MVP, but no receiver.
You have to go back to 1941 and 1942 when Packers Legend Don Hutson won two Joe F. Carr Trophies in back-to-back years (recognized as the NFL MVP award from 1938 to 1946). He won the Triple Crown in both seasons, also being the first receiver in NFL history to gain over 1000 yards in a season. In all, the receiver Triple Crown was attained 12 times before the 1970 merger… 5 times in total by Don Hutson (4 consecutively), but his two MVP awards were the only times it was granted to a receiver.
Ja’Marr Chase Keeps Being Overlooked
It’s hard to reconcile this situation, considering the nature of the league these days, with passing at the core of most team strategies. Granted, the focus on passing logically puts significant attention on quarterbacks for the MVP… but the idea that a receiver has never won the Associated Press MVP and hasn’t won any kind of primary MVP since World War II just doesn’t add up. Especially for Chase. Not only did he win the receiver Triple Crown in 2024, he also led the league in:
- Targets
- 1st Downs
- Yds/Game,
… and among receivers with over 100 receptions, he was 2nd in
- Yards/Target
- Catch Rate
Being up against Saquon Barkley and his 2000-yard performance for Offensive Player of the Year highlights the real problem with the MVP. While I agree that Josh Allen was the most valuable quarterback last season, the award could have gone to Barkley or Chase, so the Offensive Player of the Year Award could have gone to the other. On that note… I feel the same about Christian McCaffery being snubbed out of the MVP the prior season. Moreover, the same can be said about Cooper Kupp in 2021, when Aaron Rodgers won his 4th MVP in a good, but not great season. Other offensive weapons just are not being considered for the top individual award.
Seasons like Chase’s need to be punctuated with accolades so we can look back and value the players and the moments in the same way that I could assess Don Hutson, recognizing his MVP achievements. Ja’Marr was unfortunately denied that kind of indicator in the NFL history books.
Conclusion
The MVP and by extension, the Offensive Player of the Year awards are being voted on too narrowly with not enough focus on other positions, especially receivers. While the quarterback is perhaps the most valuable position (considering they touch the ball every play) a great quarterback can’t do what he does without great receivers doing what they do. It’s part of a theme in the NFL over-valuing quarterbacks and as a result… undervaluing their weapons and other key positions on the field… specifically receivers, who are just as valuable… if not, more… says me 😉