Getty Trey Lance during his first NFL start on October 10, 2021 in Arizona.
The NFL season is still four months away, but different sportsbooks have already listed their top Most Valuable Player candidate: Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills per Caesar’s Sportsbook, FanDuel and Draft Kings.
But Adam Schein of Sirius XM Radio and nfl.com put out a different kind of list on Monday, May 17 — one that has Trey Lance of the San Francisco 49ers cracking this lineup.
The longtime media personality put out his list of MVP candidates, but not just any kind of top winner projections for the 2022 season. Schein chose his lists of “Dark Horse MVP candidates.” The second-year quarterback not only made the cut, but Schein revealed his odds.
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Schein’s Prediction for Lance
Schein first unveiled the MVP odds for the standout from North Dakota State: 60-1.
“I love the 49ers’ roster. I love the 49ers’ coaching staff. I have no idea if they know what they have in Lance. So, yeah, this is something of a shot in the dark,” Schein wrote in his beginning sentence. “But it’s Year 2 for the No. 3 overall pick. And while Jimmy Garoppolo remains on the roster for now, he was pretty open about the awkwardness of last season while appearing on my SiriusXM Radio show last month.”
The MVP race is expected to be a crowded field once the season resumes. Not only is Allen considered the top favorite, but past MVP’s Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady are considered top five favorites to snatch the award. Rising stars like Joe Burrow of the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals and Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers are also expected to be in the mix for the top individual award in the NFL.
And Lance is still facing some “what if” scenarios, particularly the pending future of Garoppolo and if he doesn’t get traded…which could alter the plans behind center for the 49ers.
“There are a lot of ifs here, but if Lance is the quarterback, and if he doesn’t have Jimmy G looking over his shoulder, the dual-threat playmaker should be able to dance in Kyle Shanahan’s offense,” Schein predicted.
Who Else Made the ‘Dark Horse’ List?
Lance isn’t the only dark horse candidate.
Schein placed Derek Carr of the Las Vegas Raiders as the dark horse candidate with the highest odds to claim the award at 30-1.
“I’ve always been a huge fan of Carr’s game and the value he brings to his team, which is what this award’s all about,” Schein wrote. “The former second-round pick has been a rock for a franchise that hasn’t exactly been a model of stability in recent years. Carr handles all adversity with grace and aplomb while never making excuses.”
New Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Ryan followed behind Carr with his odds at 60-1. Meanwhile, coming in with the fourth best odds by Schein was Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins, who will soon have former 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel and Ex-49ers running back Raheem Mostert to work with. Schein believes those two former 49ers along with Tyreek Hill and newly acquired Sony Michel will give the former first rounder his breakout campaign in year three.