With Three Weeks To Go, Aaron Rodgers Should Be The Front Runner For The NFL MVP

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When the Packers front office brass opted to not help Aaron Rodgers in the 2020 NFL Draft some wondered if that would motivate the then-36 year old. Many assumed on draft night that Green Bay would take one of the plethora of talented pass catching prospects to give the offense a little life. There were almost too many to pass up on without going out your way to do so. Ruggs, Lamb, Jeudy, Reagor, Jefferson, Aiyuk, Shenault, Claypool, as well as others went in the first few rounds, just not to Green Bay. As you know, the Packers opted to go with a quarterback and a running back who is their current third string on the depth chart. 

In actuality it was a sign from the team executives that they believed 2019's 13-3 season that ended in San Francisco at the NFC Championship game was nothing more than a fluke. Why invest in a team to win now when you don't think they can get back to that point? They didn't think Rodgers had it in him to turn back the clock and lead a team to the Super Bowl. I get the whole passing on offensive guys if you think what Rodgers had to work with was enough (clearly it is), but not addressing defensive needs with those picks was inexcusable and illogical. Well, 14 weeks into the season I'd say 12 has done one helluva job proving he's not done and that this team is as legit as ever. In fact that dude is the current front runner for the MVP award. 

Now before you say it, no Patrick Mahomes did not pull an Andrew Luck and retire out of the blue. He is very much still a quarterback in the league and is still doing things each week we've never seen before. That being said, he threw three interceptions in his road game against Miami yesterday while Rodgers tossed three scores, ran one in himself, and didn't turn the ball over. You may think one slip up game by Mahomes shouldn't be enough to knock him down a peg in the MVP race, but with Rodgers playing the way he has, the numbers speak for themselves. If the season ended right now, I think Aaron Rodgers brings home the hardware. The quarterback of the 1 seed in the NFC who leads the league in touchdowns and QB rating with less interceptions than Mahomes. I don't think it's even that hot of a take right now to be honest. 

So what's changed with Rodgers? Where has this season come from? Entering 2020, Rodgers was three seasons removed from topping 26 touchdowns in a given year. As of this second with three games to go Rodgers already has 39 in the bag! He's a passing score away from becoming the first QB in NFL history to have three seasons of 40+ touchdowns passes. 

Now is it all really just being single and having Danica Patrick out of his life? Certainly could be a factor in relaxing him and having him zero in on the prize. Part of it is certainly getting more and more adjusted to LaFleur's scheme. I think it's totally acceptable for there to be an adjustment period in the first season. You see now they're completely on the same page and you're witnessing the magic that can happen because of that. Adding onto that, Davante Adams has become completely unlocked. Sunday marked the 8th straight game the Fresno State wide out has hauled in a touchdown. In my eyes there's no one better at the position in the league. Each week a helpless corner tries his very best to stop 17 and usually ends up like number 24 Amani Oruwariye did yesterday. 

Another massive part has been the pass protection. Rodgers is on pace to be sacked the fewest times in his career since he became a starting quarterback in the league. He has been taken down either once or zero times in 11 of the Packers 13 games this year. That is fucking crazy considering the issues this unit used to have. It's even more impressive considering the injuries they've dealt with up front that includes absences from David Bakhtiari and Corey Linsley. Usually you lose as good of a center as Linsley and the whole plan goes to shit. Not with Elgton Jenkins in the mix. This dude has emerged as maybe the least talked about superstar in football. The Packers 2nd round pick from 2019 plays all five spots on the o-line, rarely commits penalties, doesn't give up sacks, and (knock on wood) hasn't missed a game this season. Motherfucker has started separate games at tackle, guard, and center this year! That's not normal. If he's not an All-Pro or at least a pro bowler I'll lose my mind. 

Even Green Bay's 6th round pick this season, Jon Runyan Jr., has been able to step in no problem and hold his own. During the first game of the year he had to come into the game for an injured player and Rodgers just looked at him and laughed, "Didn't think you'd get in the game today huh?" The rookie has done plenty to keep Rodgers on his feet rather than his ass and has gotten praise froma ton of guys for how he's handled himself. Everyone has done a helluva job and it's allowed Rodgers to cook all season long. Give 12 time and he'll dismantle you. The result of all this? Rodgers staring at his 3rd MVP award and the number 1 seed in the NFC with three games left on the schedule. Patrick Mahomes is absolutely incredible and he'll have plenty of MVP trophies on his mantel when it's all said and done, but in 2020 the Packers quarterback deserves that shit, and as much as you may hate me and Green Bay, you know it too.