1. Kyler Murray

Justin Herbert’s most recent failure is only fuel for the argument to make Kyler Murray this year’s MVP. Murray had an extremely strong showing against the Cleveland Browns defense after faltering against San Francisco last week, and the Cardinals look as strong as ever.

2. Lamar Jackson +6

Lamar Jackson is almost making a case for a second MVP award. He has excelled as a passer just as much as a runner, and has closed close games better than any quarterback in 2021. 

3. Dak Prescott +1

A bit of late game luck may have led the Cowboys to their win over the Patriots on Sunday, but it cannot be ignored that he is still leading one of the best offenses of 2021. Dak Prescott looks like the complete deal, and it is possible that he is playing better than he has in any other season.

4. Patrick Mahomes +2

I am holding out hope for Patrick Mahomes to get back to form because the Chiefs should never be counted out of contention, but Mahomes really needs to pull it together quickly while there is still a chance for contention.

5. Tom Brady -2

Tom Brady’s surge of success really makes you wonder why the New England Patriots let the best NFL player of all time off of their roster two off seasons ago. For everyone singing sea poems about the Cardinals’ Super Bowl chances, never count out Tom Brady.

6. Josh Allen -1

It’s possible that the weakness of the Bills’ early schedule has come to haunt Josh Allen who made the crucial mistake in their loss against the Tennessee Titans. Allen can only improve from here, and once the Bills get their act together they will easily start knocking off good teams.

7. Matthew Stafford +2

Matthew Stafford has led the Rams to yet another big win, but that win was over the Giants so Stafford and the Rams should watch their step against bigger opponents, especially after blowing the biggest game of their season to the Cardinals.

8. Aaron Rodgers -2

I worry about Aaron Rodgers’ inability to create point distance between opponents, but he is just as good as Lamar at closing out games, and in the end that should save the Packers’ season and bring them right back to the NFC Championship.

9. Justin Herbert -7

Justin Herbert faltered in week six, but his first five weeks have made the Chargers look like one of the NFL’s top offenses. If he can regain that form he could pull in an MVP award and bring the Chargers far in the playoffs.

10. Joe Burrow

What does it take to beat the Lions defense? The answer is simple, if you play on one of the 31 best offenses in the NFL you should be able to easily drop 17 points. As much as I loved Joe Burrow’s performance, it’s nothing to get excited about. 

11. Ryan Tannehill

Don’t be fooled. If the Titans were without Derrick Henry then Ryan Tannehill would likely be a mid-level quarterback this year. With that said, A.J. Brown and Julio Jones have helped out Tannehill’s passing game in a huge way and he was efficient and relatively mistake free.

12. Derek Carr

The Raiders are becoming less and less of a factor as their broken season trudges on, and Derek Carr is starting to fall into bad habits concerning his play style. Carr is no longer lifting the offense to the same degree that he was for the first four weeks of the season.

13. Matt Ryan +1

In the beginning of the season, it seemed like Matt Ryan was slated to take a bullet to the head for a quickly receding Falcons’ offense, but Ryan has done an incredible job of lifting them back into contention. If Ryan can move them to .500 with a win against the dreadful Miami Dolphins, then the Falcons could be back in the mix for a playoff spot.

14. Carson Wentz +1

No matter how embarrassing their loss against the Ravens might have been, nobody can deny that Colts’ quarterback Carson Wentz has certainly improved from where he was three weeks ago. It will take more work to move him to his MVP form, but it now seems like a more tangible reality that he has it in him.

15. Kirk Cousins +2

For all the criticism I lay on Kirk Cousins, I do have to admit that he is doing what he can to maximize the talent around him. That said, Cousins has yet to play a game on national television, and this will be his demise.

16. Mac Jones +8

Mac Jones has won my trust. Bad officiating ruined what could have been a statement win for the Patriots, and especially for Jones who is pulling together an aggressively unremarkable defense in Damien Harris and Jakobi Meyers.

17. Jalen Hurts +2

If nothing else, Jalen Hurts has hopefully reassured the Eagles that it is OK to stop their search for a starting quarterback. A ruinous defense is wrecking Hurts’ career, but it is also true that Hurts has been a second half quarterback throughout the first part of the season. With a defense this bad, that has to change.

18. Justin Fields +4

The referees absolutely had it out for the rookies this week, ruining what would have been a statement win for Justin Fields’ and this normally stale Bears offense.

19. Ben Roethlisberger +2

Big Ben was way more efficient on Sunday than he has been for the whole season, but he also faced one of the most short-handed teams in the league with the Seattle Seahawks.

20. Jimmy Garoppolo

There’s nothing quite as predictable as Jimmy Garoppolo being questionable with an injury coming off of a bye week, but Garoppolo has a lot to prove with Trey Lance behind him on the depth chart. 

21. Teddy Bridgewater -5

Teddy Bridgewater’s potential injury does not bode well for a Broncos team who has no excuse to lose against a Browns team that does not have Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb, and Kareem Hunt on offense.

22. Trevor Lawrence +6

Trevor Lawrence’s steady improvement is a good sign for both Lawrence and head coach Urban Meyer, both of whom might be in trouble if the 2021 season ends in disaster for this rebuilding team.

23. Jameis Winston -5

Jameis Winston might be the most inconsistent quarterback in the NFL, but he will have a clear edge over backup quarterback Geno Smith against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. Winston will likely throw four touchdowns, or four interceptions.

24. Taylor Heinicke +1

Taylor Heinicke leads a good offense, but not a great one. Heinicke will not be able to compete with a top level offense, and their matchup with the Green Bay Packers will be ruinous and take them out of contention.

25. Sam Darnold -3

Sam Darnold desperately needs to fix his accuracy and interception problems before the Panthers fall completely out of contention in the NFC South. With a surging Falcons team and a dominant Buccaneers team to compete with, the Panthers are in big trouble.

26. Tua Tagovailoa +1

Tua Tagovailoa was not exactly helpful upon his return to the NFL, but he was also not the reason that the Dolphins fell against the Jaguars to give them their first win. Look for Tagovailoa to improve as the season progresses.

27. Case Keenum

Case Keenum in any offense that isn’t the Minnesota Vikings has been known to struggle, but Kevin Stefanski is the head coach and he has previously been with Minnesota.

28. Zach Wilson +1

Zach Wilson has struggled mightily, but that is due to a dreadful offensive line, horrible receiving weapons, and a lackluster defense. There is plenty of room for improvement in the coming seasons, but do not expect any good play for the remainder of the season.

29. Daniel Jones

I do not expect Daniel Jones to be the starting quarterback of the Giants in 2021. His play has been streaky at best and the Giants have not been able to move the ball even after adding so many skill position players in the offseason.

30. Jared Goff -4

Jared Goff is in serious danger of being benched, especially with the failings of the Lions offense against relatively simple defenses. 

31. Geno Smith +1

My opinion has not changed. Geno Smith has plenty of tape to support the argument that he is not a good quarterback, and his starting time in place of Russell Wilson is going to result in tragedy for the Seahawks in the NFC West.

32. Davis Mills -2

Seemingly high praise for the Texans was taken away after Davis Mills posted another awful performance against the Indianapolis Colts defense. Any indication that Mills could be the future quarterback of the Texans has been completely extinguished.