Tom Brady is set to compete for his eighth Super Bowl title and could earn his fourth NFL MVP award while he's at it.
The former New England Patriots quarterback is coming off another stellar season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady finished his 2021 campaign with a career-high 5,316 passing yards, 43 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, and a 67.5 completion percentage. He set the Bucs' franchise record for passing yards while topping his own record for TDs. Tampa Bay finished with a 13-4 record.
NFL Power Rankings: Where Pats stand in 2021 playoff field
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Brady will have tough competition with fellow future Hall-of-Fame QB Aaron Rodgers also an MVP frontrunner. The longtime Green Bay Packers signal-caller is dwarfed by Brady in the passing yardage department (4,115) and in the TD column (37) but threw only four picks all year. The Packers went 13-4 and earned the top seed in the NFC.
As great as a season Rodgers had, Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians believes his quarterback is a no-brainer for the award.
"I think if he doesn't get it, it's a travesty," Arians said. "I mean, most completions ever, 5,000 yards, touchdowns, the whole nine yards. To me, it's not even a close race."
The oddsmakers disagree. Brady is +700 to be the 2021 NFL MVP while Rodgers is the favored at -480, according to PointsBet Sportsbook. Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow is a distant third place at +2500.
NFL
Brady was voted league MVP in 2007, 2010, and 2017. Rodgers earned the award in 2011, 2014, and 2020.
The 2021 NFL MVP will be announced Saturday, Feb. 12, one day before Super Bowl 56.