Getty Russell Wilson was named the NFL MVP by Pro Football Focus.
Russell Wilson topped Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes in Pro Football Focus’ NFL MVP award. The media outlet picked the Seattle Seahawks quarterback over Jackson citing a number of factors including their WAR (Wins Above Replacement) metric which estimates how many victories a particular player is worth when compared to a replacement.
Wilson had the highest WAR of any quarterback by Pro Football Focus’ metrics with just over four wins at 4.08. Mahomes is next in line at 2.96, and Jackson came in at No. 5 at. 2.29. Wilson is a long shot to win the actual award as Jackson is expected to secure the MVP on the night before the Super Bowl. Pro Football Focus’ cited Wilson’s teammates and ability to play from behind as two key factors in naming the Seahawks quarterback their MVP.
What we can say, though, is that based on everything PFF is currently able to quantify, Russell Wilson, and not Jackson, added the most value to his team and is, therefore, the league’s MVP. When you try and see the entire board, Wilson dealt with much more adversity than Jackson did and was significantly ahead in terms of PFF WAR. So, Russell Wilson wins the award for a season in which there were two outstanding candidates.
Wilson Wants to Be Considered Among the NFL Greats
Wilson’s ultimate goal is to win another Super Bowl which the Seahawks came up short on accomplishing this season. The Seahawks quarterback admitted he also wants to be considered as the best quarterback as well.
“Every player wants to be recognized as the best,” Wilson explained to The Undefeated during the 2019 season. “If it’s not my goal, what am I out here for?”
Wilson went on to emphasize that he makes it a priority to perform well late in games when the pressure is at its highest. The Seahawks’ ability to seemingly come back from any deficit shows how much Wilson’s teammate believe in him.
“Some of my favorite athletes have always been great at the end of the game and in those moments,” Wilson noted, per The Undefeated. “Not everything is always going to go perfect, it’s not always going to go the way you want, but more times than not it’s going to. I believe that. I remember watching certain players and thinking, ‘I want to be like that.’ Guys like Derek Jeter, when he’d come up to the plate late in the game. Michael Jordan, with the ball in his hands and the shot clock winding down … just wanting to be clutch in certain moments.”
Jackson Is Still a Massive Favorite to Win the NFL MVP Award
Pro Football Focus may have made a compelling case for the Seahawks quarterback, but Jackson is still a sizable favorite to win the award. Jackson is listed as the -3000 favorite, and Wilson is a distant second with +1000 odds, per OddsShark.
Jackson led the Ravens to the best record in the NFL and thrived in a rebuilt Baltimore offense. The only knock on Jackson’s young career is his lack of postseason success.
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