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The rivalry between the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers took an interesting turn ahead of Week 18. Amid a dominant season from Aaron Rodgers and the top-seeded Packers, Chicago-based NFL insider Hub Arkush said Rodgers won't get his MVP vote despite admitting that he is the best player on a Super Bowl favorite.
Arkush cited non-football reasons for not voting Rodgers for the award. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur shot back at Arkush's voting rationale.
Matt LaFleur said the MVP vote should be based solely on what a player does on the field.
“I don’t know what else can factor into it” and that taking into account non-football issues “discredits that award” and “to consider anything else is a disservice to everybody.”
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) January 5, 2022
While the drama Rodgers started in the offseason and his insane rants about COVID-19 are things that can reasonably be held against him, his performance on the field is anything but ludicrous. The MVP award should be based on criteria as simple as “very good player, preferably on a very good team.” Non-football conduct that deters a team could be considered but that isn't necessarily the case with Rodgers.
Green Bay looks like a cut above the rest of the league thanks in large part to Rodgers' tremendous performance. Entering the final week of the regular season, he is the only quarterback with a passer rating above 110, is tied for third in the league in touchdown passes, and ranks ninth in passing yards. The records he has broken this season boost his case to win the MVP award, which would be the fourth of his career and his second consecutive year taking it home.
Rodgers is an obvious choice for the MVP but there are other understandable options like Tom Brady, the league leader in both yards and touchdowns through the air. But the reason Arkush cited does cloud the award's meaning, as LaFleur mentioned.
