The Associated Press dropped their official All-Pro roster on January 13 and the Kansas City Chiefs were well-represented with six players earning first or second-team honors.
Lead NFL writer Rob Maaddi tweeted out the news, revealing QB Patrick Mahomes II, TE Travis Kelce, DL Chris Jones and P Tommy Townsend as the four first-team representatives and offensive linemen Joe Thuney and Creed Humphrey as the two second-team winners.
The Associated Press 2022 NFL All-Pro Team First Team:
According to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, the behind-the-scenes voting tally was also a “clear indication” that Mahomes will eventually win the MVP award.
NFL All-Pro Vote ‘Virtually Guarantees’ Patrick Mahomes as MVP
Pelissero wasn’t the only one that noticed this trend. ESPN insider Field Yates commented on it too, stating: “Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes received 49 of 50 first team All Pro votes. This virtually guarantees that Mahomes is in line for his second NFL MVP award. 14 of the last 15 NFL MVPs have been the first team All Pro quarterback pick.”
#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes received 49 of 50 first-team All-Pro votes at QB, per the AP.
It won’t be announced until Super Bowl week, but that’s a pretty clear indication that Mahomes has won his second NFL MVP.
According to Maaddi, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was the only other signal-caller to earn a first-team vote, although Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen and Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow both received second-team votes.
Kelce was also a unanimous first-team selection at tight end, with San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle as his runner up (zero first-team votes). As for the two other first-team victors, Jones tied Mahomes with 49 votes while Townsend topped Tennessee Titans punter Ryan Stonehouse with 28 first-place votes compared to 13.
Outside of a total dark horse stealing the trophy at another position, all this confirms that Mahomes should be the MVP for the NFL’s 2022-23 campaign. Hopefully for Chiefs Kingdom, he’ll be able to accept that honor after winning his second Super Bowl.
Patrick Mahomes Would ‘Cherish’ MVP Trophy, Remains Focused on Super Bowl
Earlier this week on January 9, Mahomes addressed his odds of winning the MVP during his bye week press conference.
“Obviously, the MVP award is a special award that, if you get it, you’ll cherish that for the rest of your life,” he told reporters candidly. “It’s something that I think you can look back at more at the end of the season, [or] at the end of your career, and you can think about those great times that you had.”
Continuing: “It’s a trophy that symbolizes the team that was around you so you can think about those memories that you had with those guys, and how you went to battle with them and were able to win a lot of football games. Like you said, we’re focused on the Super Bowl right now and trying to get there and win it, but obviously it will still be a big moment in my life that I’ll be able to forever remember.”
The Chiefs currently await their first postseason opponent of the winter as the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Depending on who wins the opening slate of games, Kansas City would face one of the following teams: Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, Baltimore Ravens or Miami Dolphins.
Based on reseeding rules, they cannot play the Bills or Bengals until the AFC championship game. Remember, if KC and Buffalo both make it to the title game, they will play at a neutral site — location was finally determined this week.
If Cincinnati or any other team were to make it to the AFC championship against the Chiefs, the game would be played at Arrowhead Stadium.
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NFL All-Pro Vote Reveals ‘Clear Indication’ for Patrick Mahomes