The MVP race has been close for most of the season, it looks like this race will come down to the final weeks.
To determine the current frontrunner, we gathered writers and editors to vote on who they think will win the MVP. Following the new voting rules from last year, the 50 media members voting on the award can name up to five players, which is how we conducted our poll.
Here’s a look at our top five heading into Week 18, along with their point totals. (Players get five points for a first-place vote, four points for second place, and so on.)
- Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (69 points)
- Bills QB Josh Allen (64 points)
- Bengals QB Joe Burrow (43 points)
- Eagles RB Saquon Barkley (36 points)
T-5. Lions QB Jared Goff (8 points)
T-5. Vikings QB Sam Darnold (8 points)
If our poll is accurate, Jackson seems to be leading, but he’s closely followed by Allen. The interesting part is that Allen actually received more first-place votes than Jackson.
On our 16 ballots, Allen got eight first-place votes, while Jackson got seven. The remaining first-place vote went to Saquon Barkley. The reason Jackson is ahead of Allen is because Jackson appeared on all 16 ballots, while Allen was on 15.
Jackson’s progress has been impressive. On Dec. 5, he only received one first-place vote, and that was from me. Since then, he has gained six more first-place votes. In Week 18, he’ll have another chance to impress when the Ravens play the Browns. Meanwhile, Josh Allen won’t be playing, so Jackson could use this opportunity to make a big MVP statement.
- Ranking the most important games of Week 18
There are 11 games this weekend that could affect the playoff race, so Jeff Kerr decided to rank them from the most important to the least important. This ranking helps us know which games we should really focus on and which ones are less crucial.
Here are the top three games on his list:
- Vikings (14-2) at Lions (14-2), 8:20 p.m. ET (NBC). “This is a huge game for the NFC, possibly the best regular-season finale the league has ever seen. The winner will take the NFC North and secure home-field advantage for the NFC playoffs, along with the only first-round bye. The loser will drop to the No. 5 seed despite having 14 wins, making them the first 13+ win wild-card team in NFL history.”
- Bengals (8-8) at Steelers (10-6), 8 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC). “This game is critical for the Bengals, who need to win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Since the Bengals play on Saturday, they can put pressure on the Broncos and Dolphins to win on Sunday.”
- Chiefs (15-1) at Broncos (9-7), 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS). “The Broncos have the power to control the playoff race on the last day of the regular season. If Denver wins, they’ll make the playoffs as the No. 7 seed, the final spot. If they lose, it opens up the chance for Miami or Cincinnati to make the playoffs. The Chiefs will rest their starters, so Denver has a good chance to make it.”
NFL All-Rookie Team for 2024 season: Jayden Daniels leads the offense
The NFL season isn’t over yet, but we’ve seen enough to create our All-Rookie Team. The first-round rookies this year could end up being one of the best groups in NFL history.
Let’s take a look at the offensive players selected for the All-Rookie Team:
- QB: Jayden Daniels, Commanders
- RB: Bucky Irving, Buccaneers
- RB: Tyrone Tracy, Jr., Giants
- WR: Malik Nabers, Giants
- WR: Brian Thomas Jr., Jaguars
- WR: Ladd McConkey, Chargers
- TE: Brock Bowers, Raiders
- OT: Roger Rosengarten, Ravens
- OT: Joe Alt, Cardinals
- OG: Dominick Puni, 49ers
- OG: Jackson Powers-Johnson, Raiders
- C: Zach Frazier, Steelers
The Rams had the most players on the All-Rookie Team with four, but none of them are on the offensive side. If you’re curious about the defensive rookies, be sure to check out the full list.
4. Pro Bowl rosters revealed: Ravens lead the way with nine players
There will be 88 players in Orlando for this year’s Pro Bowl, and the official rosters were announced this morning by the NFL. Fans, players, and coaches each contributed one-third to the voting process.
Here are some key details about this year’s Pro Bowl rosters:
- Ravens have the most Pro Bowlers: The Ravens had nine players named to the Pro Bowl, the most by any team. The Lions had the second most with seven players, while the Vikings and Eagles both had six players named. For the Ravens, one notable selection was Zay Flowers, who became the first receiver in team history to be voted to the Pro Bowl.
- Patrick Mahomes left out: Mahomes, who had been voted to six consecutive Pro Bowls, was not selected this year. However, it wasn’t a snub as the AFC QB spots went to Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow instead.
- Jayden Daniels joins an impressive club: The Commanders’ rookie quarterback was one of three NFC quarterbacks named to the Pro Bowl. Daniels is the fourth rookie QB since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 to be named to the initial Pro Bowl roster. He joins Dan Marino (1983), Robert Griffin III (2012), and Dak Prescott (2016) as the only rookie QBs to earn this honor.
- Rookie party at the Pro Bowl: The Pro Bowl will feature 24 first-time players, including three rookies: Jayden Daniels (Commanders), Brock Bowers (Raiders), and Jared Verse (Rams).
- Chasing history: Ja’Marr Chase was voted to the Pro Bowl for the fourth straight year. He became just the fourth receiver in NFL history to make the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons, joining Isaac Curtis, A.J. Green, and Tyreek Hill.
- Four teams got shut out: While 28 teams had at least one Pro Bowl representative, the Titans, Dolphins, Jets, and Saints were left out.
No Pro Bowl Game This Year – It’s a Week of Events
There will be no regular Pro Bowl “game” this year. Instead, the Pro Bowl has been rebranded as the Pro Bowl Games, which will be a week-long celebration with various events.
In the week leading up to the game, players will compete in different skills challenges (you can see those here). The week in Orlando will end on February 2 with a flag football game between the AFC and NFC teams. Peyton and Eli Manning will coach the two teams once again.
Also, keep in mind that if any player’s team makes the Super Bowl, those players won’t be taking part in the Pro Bowl Games.
5. Projecting the 2025 QB Market: Derek Carr Goes to Indy, Sam Darnold Stays
With 14 teams making the playoffs, the 18 teams that didn’t make it will begin focusing on the offseason starting Monday.
These teams will work on improving their rosters for the 2025 season. A good quarterback is key to being a contender in the NFL, so Cody Benjamin took a look at the upcoming QB market.
Here are three big moves Cody predicts for the 2025 season:
- Sam Darnold re-signs with the Vikings: “After six years of struggling through mostly broken teams, Darnold has blossomed into MVP-level form under Kevin O’Connell, helping the Vikings’ top playmakers with his career-best anticipation and fearlessness. At just 27, he finally looks like a top QB with help around him.”
- Justin Fields signs with the Raiders: “Fields, who started for the Steelers when Wilson was injured, has been dynamic but inconsistent when asked to win through the air. Though his debut with Pittsburgh was more efficient, he’s still a high-upside player with a lot of potential.”
- Derek Carr signs with the Colts (after being cut by the Saints): “After dealing with multiple injuries in 2023, Carr, the former Raiders veteran, struggled in his second year with New Orleans, playing in only 10 games as the team made coaching changes. At almost 34, with a long but inconsistent career, cutting him would save the Saints up to $30 million.”
Cody made predictions for seven veteran quarterbacks and also predicted where several rookie quarterbacks might land.
6. Extra Points: Eagles Keeping Saquon Barkley on the Bench
The NFL has been busy over the past 24 hours, and since it’s hard to keep up with all the updates, here’s a quick recap.
- Saquon Barkley won’t break the single-season rushing record: Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni announced that he will rest his starters in Week 18, which includes keeping Barkley on the bench. Barkley is just 101 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,105 rushing yards in a single season. While Barkley said he would have liked to break the record, he also said he didn’t want to risk the team’s success. You can read more about his reaction to Sirianni’s decision here.
- Jimmy Garoppolo to start for the Rams: Rams coach Sean McVay hinted earlier in the week that he’d be resting some key players, and he wasn’t kidding. Garoppolo will start against the Seahawks, so Matthew Stafford will sit out Week 18. The Rams can secure the No. 3 seed in the NFC with a win, but McVay doesn’t seem concerned about whether they get the third or fourth seed.
- Tyler Huntley likely starting for the Dolphins: It’s not confirmed yet, but it looks like Huntley will be the Dolphins’ starting QB when they face the Jets. Tua Tagovailoa, who has a hip injury that kept him out of Week 17, is still not fully recovered. This is a crucial game for the Dolphins, who could make the playoffs with a win and a Broncos’ loss to the Chiefs.
- Carson Wentz set to start for the Chiefs: With the AFC’s top seed already secured, the Chiefs will rest several of their starters, including Patrick Mahomes. This means Wentz will start at QB. If the Chiefs win, it could allow the Bengals or Dolphins to make the playoffs. Wentz’s last start was with the Rams in the regular-season finale last year, where he led them to a win over the 49ers.
- Josh Dobbs to start for the 49ers: This game doesn’t impact the playoffs, but it’s still worth mentioning. Brock Purdy, who injured his elbow on Monday night, won’t be healthy enough to play in Week 18, so the 49ers will start Dobbs instead.
