A wide receiver has never won NFL MVP, and given the complexion of the league with quarterbacks being so heavily favored to win the award each year, it’s possible no receiver ever will.
Cooper Kupp came close last year, receiving one vote for NFL MVP thanks to his historically great 2021 campaign. He caught 145 passes for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns, leading the league in all three categories.
He was named Offensive Player of the Year, was voted to the Pro Bowl for the first time and earned first-team All-Pro honors, breaking out in a big way for the Rams.
Looking ahead to next season’s MVP odds, Kupp is unsurprisingly among the top non-quarterbacks and has better odds than any other wide receiver. According to Tipico Sportsbook, Kupp is +5000 to win league MVP, tied with Kirk Cousins, Jalen Hurts and Trevor Lawrence. The only non-quarterbacks with better odds than Kupp are Derrick Henry and Jonathan Taylor at +4000.
Kupp is still a long shot to win MVP, but at least he’s getting some respect as a top non-quarterback candidate to take home the hardware. If any receiver was going to win it, though, it was going to be Kupp last year. It’ll be tough to top that campaign he had.
