WRs who could/should have won MVP

[Bryan]

Tyreek Hill is having a monster season, but I'm not certain he will get serious consideration considering the historical precedent. Cooper Kupp had a big year in 2021 and got 1% of the MVP vote. Some of it is circumstantial...a WR can probably only win if the QB/RB field doesn't produce a great season. Even then, I don't think a WR has ever been a consensus NFL MVP (please, no Pete Retzlaff stories). Off the top of my head, it seemed like the strike years could have had two MVP WRs with Wes Chandler and Jerry Rice, and even though there wasn't an MVP award I'm guessing Elroy Hirsch would have won it in 1951. Any others come to mind?

[ChrisBabcock]

Maybe or maybe not MVP but certainly offensive player of the year... And award which usually goes to the guys with the best fantasy stats.

[Reaser]

I used to keep track of who (I thought) should win awards if the entire season counted (i.e. Week 1 through the Super Bowl) so I had Larry Fitzgerald for 2008 "NFL MVP."

[Brian wolf]

The precedent probably should have been established for wide receivers during the Don Hutson years, where he dominated and defined what an end/flanker could do but MVP awards werent handed out back then. He could have been MVP in 1939, 41, 42 and 44 as well, especially 1942, where his stats were through the roof. In between his greatness, Jim Benton had an MVP type season in 1945 as the Rams were the last team to win a championship with a rookie QB.

Bryan mentioned Elroy Hirsch in 1951 and though Lance Alworth shared the AFL MVP award with teammate Tobin Rote in 1963, could have also been MVP in 1965 but teammate Paul Lowe won the award.

Dave Parks could have been an MVP candidate for the Niners in 1965 but Brown won the award, with Paul Warfield going down early that season. It was also the only season Retzlaff was named All-Pro

I felt Jerry Rice was the MVP in 1995 as well, carrying his team with Steve Young hurt but Favre won the award compensating for the loss of his top wideout, Robert Brooks. Of course, he still also had Reggie White on defense.

Fitzgerald was great in 2008 and might have gotten consideration had the postseason stats counted but the team had a great year from Boldin as well.

Calvin Johnson set the yardage record in 2012, yet only had 5 TD catches. His 2013 season was better but the Lions still floundered.

Julio Jones had monster-MVP type seasons in 2015 and 2018 but QB Matt Ryan was inconsistent, as the team had mediocre records.

John Turney mentioned in detail Kupp's great 2021 season but he couldnt get the award over Rodgers, who lost in the divisional round but had Adams as well.

[Jay Z]

Wes Chandler over Mark Moseley 1982

[Brian wolf]

I liked Chandler in 1982 as well but Marcus Allen was great as a rookie.

[Bob Gill]

The precedent probably should have been established for wide receivers during the Don Hutson years, where he dominated and defined what an end/flanker could do but MVP awards werent handed out back then. He could have been MVP in 1939, 41, 42 and 44 as well, especially 1942, where his stats were through the roof. In between his greatness, Jim Benton had an MVP type season in 1945 as the Rams were the last team to win a championship with a rookie QB.

Wait, there WAS an MVP award back in Hutson's day -- an "official" one, in fact -- and he won it in 1941 and '42. I'm not sure who voted on it; possibly the coaches, but more likely it was writers.

On the more general topic of this thread, the Detroit News picked a good all-pro team from about 1958 to '72. I wouldn't call it a "major" all-pro team, but it was the result of some serious work anyway. And in 1961 the News picked Del Shofner as the MVP.

[Jay Z]

Looking at the differences in the vote between AP Offensive Player of the year and MVP can be screwy. I'd vote the same for both, but apparently a lot of people don't. Usually QBs do better in MVP but not always. Sometimes one QB will leap over another in the MVP voting as well.

Jerry Rice in 1987 was chosen MVP in three other votes, just not AP. John Elway won there. Elway's season is just not that special. Rice dominates the Offensive Player of the year vote. Elway leaps over Rice and Joe Montana to get the MVP with 42% of the vote. Rice was on the better team and dominated. Elway's performance was not MVP worthy. Evidently a rump of voters were determined never to give the award to a WR. Unfortunate.

[JohnTurney]

Wait, there WAS an MVP award back in Hutson's day -- an "official" one, in fact -- and he won it in 1941 and '42. I'm not sure who voted on it; possibly the coaches, but more likely it was writers.

On the more general topic of this thread, the Detroit News picked a good all-pro team from about 1958 to '72. I wouldn't call it a "major" all-pro team, but it was the result of some serious work anyway. And in 1961 the News picked Del Shofner as the MVP.

Here are the WR/Ends that won some sort of top honor, either MVP or Player of the year (not Offensive Player of the Year) - some of them are minor the bolded ones are major, IM)

1941• Don Hutson, E - Green Bay (Joe Carr Trophy)
1942• Don Hutson, E - Green Bay (Joe Carr Trophy)
1955 • Harlon Hill, E - Chicago Bears (Newspaper Enterprise Association)
1963• Lance Alworth, WR - San Diego (United Press International)
1964• Gino Cappelletti, WR - Boston (United Press International, Associated Press, Sporting News) (also kicker)
1964 • Lance Alworth, WR - San Diego (PFWA—NY Chapter)
1967• Lance Alworth, WR – San Diego (Washington D.C. Touchdown Club)
1968•Lance Alworth, WR – San Diego (Columbus Touchdown Club)
1969• Lance Alworth, WR – San Diego (Washington D.C. Touchdown Club)
1987 • Jerry Rice, WR - San Francisco (Pro Football Writers Association of America, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Maxwell Club of Philadelphia,
1990• Jerry Rice, WR - San Francisco (Sporting News)
2022 • Justin Jefferson, WR - Minnesota Vikings (Sporting News*)


But there a lot of good suggestions who could have a claimed one ... but didn't because of position bias or someone else just had even better
year.

1951 Hirsch, 1982 Chandler, 2021 Cooper Kupp, Tyreek this year...Randy Moss had MVP_type numbers but didn't have better year than Brady
maybe Charley Hennigan in 1961? In my mind the WR needs to be above and beyond...leader in catches, yards plus close to lead in TDs (triple crown no required but high in everything on a team doing well ...

[Brian wolf]

Thanks Bob and John ... I was thinking AP or UPI, didnt remember the Joe Carr Trophy. Its interesting Hutson didnt win it in 1939 or 1944, other great years. Surprised Alworth or Parks didnt get a top award in 1965.

Rice and Moss had great seasons in 1987 and 2007 but were overshadowed by their QBs, which is why Elway got it in 1987. He had no skill position All-Pros, with a weak line as well.

Cowboys fans I had talked to when I was younger thought Bob Hayes was an MVP candidate in 1966 as the Cowboys finally became a SB threat.