5 Sleeper MVP Candidates for the 2024 NFL Season

The ultimate goal of all NFL athletes is to be a part of a Super Bowl winning team and hoist the Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season. Even though that is the pinnacle of the sport, winning the regular season MVP is also more than a worthy accomplishment for players.

The NFL MVP Award which is handed out during the postseason at the NFL Awards ceremony is a prestigious award but it is one that has become synonymous with quarterbacks for the most part. The last time a non-quarterback won the award was back in 2012 when it was given to the then Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.

However, as this is a list of five sleeper candidates for the 2024 MVP, we will consider a couple of non-quarterbacks as well.

C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans

Second-year Texans’ starting quarterback C. J. Stroud finds himself on this list on the basis of his performance in his rookie year. In spite of it being very early to place a player in the MVP race in just his second year, Stroud’s impact for the Texans in his rookie campaign just cannot be ignored.

Heading into 2023 with a first-time head coach in DeMeco Ryans and relatively unknown offensive help, Stroud had a season for the ages. Had he not missed two games due to injury, he may very well have led the league in passing yards. He had an impeccable TD-INT ratio going 23-5 and easily won the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.

With the addition of key position players during the offseason, and especially that of Stefon Diggs, there is a high level of excitement around Stroud’s sophomore year in the NFL.

Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers

Jordan Love has been in the NFL for the past four years. But 2024 will be only his second year as a starter which means he is still getting better.

The start of 2023 for Love was a tough one, but he showed his poise and willingness to learn from his mistakes. This allowed him to turn his season around and he eventually ended up with over 4,000 passing yards and 32 touchdowns.

More impressively, Love had 10 interceptions in the first nine games of the regular season, but then miraculously threw only one in the last eight games. The back end of his 2023 campaign along with his postseason performance demonstrated an elevation to his game which makes him a sleeper candidate for the MVP in 2024.

Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers

As mentioned previously, it has been over a decade since any non-quarterback has had his hands on the MVP Award. However, 49ers’ running back Christian McCaffrey came ever so close to winning it last season.

McCaffrey had to settle for the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year, but his contributions of over 2,000 total yards and 21 total touchdowns were a huge factor in the 49ers making the playoffs.

Widely considered as the best running back in the game today, McCaffrey has the potential and the motivation to bring home the NFL MVP in 2024.

Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears

Caleb Williams is an exceptional name on this list as there has been only one rookie ever to win the NFL MVP in league history. This extraordinary feat was achieved by Jim Brown in 1957 who played for the Cleveland Browns.

Williams though, is a special talent and one that most experts and fans of the game are excited about. He was the overwhelming favorite for the number one draft pick in 2024. His three years in college yielded over 9,000 passing yards, 93 touchdowns, and just 14 interceptions.

Moreover, Williams is now surrounded with enough talent on the offense to really stake a claim as a sleeper MVP candidate. The Bears added former Chargers receiver Keenan Allen to their receiving core while already possessing DJ Moore.

Another first-round draft selection in 2024 was used on talented wideout Rome Odunze which means Williams will have no shortage of quality receivers at his disposal. In the backfield, he will get help from 2023 Pro Bowler D’Andre Swift while his offensive line is around the top 10 as per PFF’s rankings for 2024.

Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins

The second non-quarterback on this list is the high-flying Miami Dolphins’ receiver, Tyreek Hill. The Cheetah as he is known had a tremendous 2023 and was at one point of the season on pace for a 2,000-yard receiving year.

The electrifying receiver not only has speed on his side but he also possesses one of the safest pair of hands in the league. His blistering pace usually sees him get open no matter who and how teams are defending him.

Should he remain healthy, 2024 could be another big year for Hill and who knows, he just may be able to snatch the coveted MVP from the quarterbacks.

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