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As the NFL offseason wears on, more and more 2021 regular season futures betting options are showing up on the betting boards of the top-rated online sportsbooks.
One of the most popular betting options for players is winning the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award. This recognition has been dominated by quarterbacks over the years.
With Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers winning his third-career MVP trophy in 2020, you would have to go back to 2012 to find the last time a non-quarterback was named MVP (running back Adrian Peterson).
The NFL futures for winning MVP in 2021 follow suit. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been opened as a +500 favorite followed by Rodgers at +900 odds. Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen is next at +1000 with Dak Prescott (Dallas) and Matthew Stafford (LA Rams) rounding out the Top 5 at +1400 betting odds.
You would have to scroll down to the 19th name on the futures list to find the first player that does not play quarterback. Carolina running back Christian McCaffery holds that position at +5000 betting odds.
Looking over the list of players with odds of +2000 or higher, the following three players stood out from the rest as high-valued longshots.
Carson Wentz +2800
Wentz was traded to Indianapolis this offseason after his tenure in Philadelphia came to a tumultuous end. Viewed as a much needed fresh start with a new team, he now has a chance to resurrect his career heading into his sixth pro season.
The most value in these odds is tied to Wentz being reunited with Frank Reich as the Colts’ head coach. As the offensive coordinator with the Eagles in 2017, Reich was given quite a bit of the credit for Wentz’s MVP-worthy play before blowing out his knee late in the season.
Baker Mayfield +3300
If the league’s MVP award was tied to style points, Mayfield’s odds would be much higher. Yet, he has now established himself as a winner in the NFL after leading the Cleveland Browns back to the postseason for the first time since 2002. The Browns went 11-5 in 2020 with Mayfield manufacturing a few of those wins at the quarterback position.
Coming into his fourth NFL season in Cleveland, 2021 will be a make or break campaign. If the team slips backwards, it could be another 20 years before it makes another postseason appearance. However, if Mayfield can elevate his game high enough for Cleveland to win an AFC North title, he is going to catch the attention of more than a few MVP voters along the way.
Taysom Hill +10000
If you are willing to go way out on a limb betting this future, Hill definitely fits the mold. As a jack- of-all-trades quarterback with the New Orleans Saints, he will be competing for the starting role with the retirement of Drew Brees.
Long-time head coach Sean Payton has always championed his cause during his first four seasons with the team as a utility player. Whether or not he considers Hill a NFL starter at quarterback is a whole other question. The real value in these extremely long odds is the quality of talent surrounding Hill.
The Saints are still a playoff-caliber team even with the loss of Brees. If everything falls Taysom’s way in 2021, it could lead to an unexpected MVP run that eluded Brees during his future Hall of Fame career.
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