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Three players in NFL history have gone six years between MVP awards. Both quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady have done that within the last 12 years.
That’s exactly what Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Ryan will be attempting to this fall for his new team. Ryan won NFL MVP six years ago with 4,944 passing yards and 38 touchdowns in 2016.
NFL columnist Adam Schein of NFL.com gave Ryan at least a fighter’s chance of joining the elusive club of multi-MVP winners with a long gap between awards. Schein included Ryan on his list of “dark horse” MVP candidates for the 2022 season.
“Ryan is up in age,” Schein wrote. “But I believe the four-time Pro Bowler has plenty of gas left in the tank. The fresh start will help. So will having Jonathan Taylor in the backfield, as well as a great offensive line and a fantastic defense.”
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Matt Ryan Aiming for Second MVP Award
With a second MVP season, Ryan would join Rodgers, Brady and legendary running back Jim Brown as the only players to win the award multiple times with at least a six-year gap between them.
Brady won his second MVP award in 2010 and then third in 2017. Rodgers won his second MVP in 2014 and then captured the honor a third time during the 2020 campaign.
Brown was league MVP in 1957 and 1958 then again in 1965.
There’s plenty of other history Ryan will be chasing this fall as well. With a second MVP award, Ryan would become just the 10th player to win multiple regular season MVPs. He would also become the fifth Colts quarterback to win the award.
The previous winners in franchise history are Johnny Unitas, Earl Morrall, Bert Jones and Peyton Manning. Unitas won the award three times while Manning still holds the record with five MVPs, four of which he captured playing for the Colts.
Matt Ryan to Cement A Hall of Fame Career?
With his career numbers through 14 seasons, Ryan will be in the Hall of Fame conversation after he retires. Some columnists such as Schein argue that he already deserves enshrinement.
“Ryan has carved out a Hall of Fame career, and I’ll fight anyone who disagrees with that sentiment,” Schein wrote. “I think he leads the Colts back to the postseason via a division title, enjoying a sizzling campaign under center. That’s value.”
Ryan’s numbers support his induction. He has 59,735 passing yards and 367 touchdowns in his career. Ryan currently sits inside the top 10 all time in completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns. He also has the opportunity to move up all those lists.
Winning a second MVP award, though, would cement his potential Hall of Fame legacy more than those statistics.
So would success in the playoffs, where Ryan is 4-6 in his career. Just like an MVP trophy, a division title, deep postseason run and perhaps even a Super Bowl championship wouldn’t hurt the quarterback’s Hall of Fame chances.
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