Aaron Rodgers went down with a shoulder injury in week 6 last year and looked rusty in his week 15 return, which was a last-ditch effort to will the Green Bay Packers to the postseason. Even with this uncertainty regarding his health at the age of 34, the oddsmakers still have Rodgers pegged as the favorite to win the 2018 NFL regular season MVP heading into the season.
SportsBetListings.com indicates that oddsmakers have Rodgers anywhere between +550 and +800 to take home the hardware this season. Make sure you compare odds when looking at props like these to ensure you get the best return possible.
Most would agree that Rodgers is the best QB in the league, so it should come as no surprise that Rodgers is the favorite to win the MVP this season, being the best player at the most important position in football. That said, to win this award he needs help. There are some big questions surrounding Rodgers. Is his offensive line strong enough to keep him healthy for the entire season and give him time to make throws? The right side of the line will go into the season as a question. Does Rodgers have enough weapons to rack up points with this Packers team? The receiving corps is seemingly lacking after Davante Adams and Randall Cobb.
Last year Rodgers was putting up MVP caliber numbers through the first five weeks of the season. He had brought the Packers to a 4-1 record, with the only blemish being a 24-23 loss on the road to the Falcons. Rodgers had 1,367 passing yards and a ridiculous 13 passing touchdowns in that span, while maintaining a QB rating of over 100. There’s no doubt he was playing like the best QB in the league before the injury.
If Rodgers is healthy, I expect him to once again be the No. 1 QB in the league in terms of pure individual skill. Does he have the weapons? Although there are some questions, Adams has emerged as an elite receiver and Cobb and tight end Jimmy Graham both are intelligent veterans with some gas left in the tank. Ty Montgomery also showed chemistry with Rodgers, catching balls out of the backfield early in the season last year. The loss of Jordy Nelson will no doubt affect the offense, but the Packers have enough capable receivers to pick up the slack with a guy like Rodgers throwing them the ball.
Tom Brady is the other favorite to win the MVP, and let’s be honest, at 41 years of age Brady is set to fall off a cliff production wise at any moment.
The biggest question mark with Rodgers is whether he can stay healthy for a full 16-game season. If he can, he has a great chance to win the MVP, especially if he can will this Packers team back to the postseason.