The once-written-off QB, Sam Darnold, currently leads the list of QBs with the highest number of touchdowns (11) in the 2024 season. Just a number short, Baker Mayfield takes the second berth with 10 TDs (8 passing and 2 receiving).
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Giving a nod to these numbers, analyst Chris Broussard wasted no time declaring the two as his top MVP contenders ahead of week 5.
Taking to First Things First, Broussard sat with Nick Wright and others as he unmasked the top players after week 4 results.
“At No. 1, I would like Sam Darnold. As the coach said, ‘It is not about who’s had the best career. It is about whose playing the best right now.”
With no surprise, the parameters of the picks looked clear — number of wins and individual stats. Thus, dark horse Darnold taking the No. 1 seed is predictable.
His assessment isn’t wrong as the stats vouch for the same. Darnold has the most touchdowns until now and leads the passer rating at 118.9.
To add more weight to his perspective, the analyst highlighted how the Vikings are the only NFC team at 4-0 right now, having defeated the colossus of the league, like the 49ers and the Texans.
The second on the list was Mayfield, another QB who has showcased brilliance in terms of numbers and teamwork. The Bucs have defeated three “potential playoff teams,” including the Eagles, and Jayden Daniels-led Commanders.
Individually, he has bagged 8 passing TDs for 984 yards and just 2 interceptions. The two QBs are at the top of their games after struggling for most of their initial years.
Darnold is having a breakout start with the Vikings after being left in the dust in New York. Mayfield, at 29, is with his fourth team and just now shining as a starter. From being written off to now making it to the top of the MVP conversation is quite the arc for the two quarterbacks.
Surprisingly, last year’s Super Bowl contenders were nowhere to be found on Broussard’s list, but co-host Nick Wright righted that wrong as he brought Brock Purdy into the conversation.
Purdy finds a place in the MVP race
Wright wasted no time in declaring that his thoughts resonated with Broussard, except that Mayfield had no place on his MVP list. While the order was tweaked a little from Wright’s perspective, he replaced the Bucs QB with last year’s Super Bowl runner-up Purdy.
According to Wright, Jayden Daniels deserves the No. 1 spot, followed by the rising star Darnold. The fifth and fourth spots are for Derrick Henry and Josh Allen, respectively, much like Broussard’s list. However, that third blank is to be filled with Purdy’s name.
Despite Christian McCaffrey’s injury and Brandon Aiyuk’s situation, the QB has been able to manage the team’s situation well, per Wright. The Niners are 2-2 right now, having won their last match against the Patriots where Purdy scored 1 TD for 288 yards.
