Now more than ever, the NFL’s most valuable player award is the domain of the quarterback. Starting with John Elway in 1987 and working up to Cam Newton last season, there have been 23 quarterbacks named league MVP as opposed to eight running backs for The Associated Press award.
(There are a couple of extra names in the mix over that period because Brett Favre and Barry Sanders shared the award in 1997, while Peyton Manning and Steve McNair did so in 2003.)
Only four running backs in this century have earned MVP laurels, and all got there on the strength of monster seasons.