(AP) — No surprise about The Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player: Aaron Rodgers has won it for the third time.
Rodgers had perhaps the best season of his 16-year career, leading Green Bay to a 13-3 regular season, the NFC’s best mark. Just a few months after questions arose about his comfort level with the Packers — and their choosing a quarterback in the first round of April’s draft — Rodgers, who turned 37 in December, tore up the NFL.
Rodgers topped the league with 48 touchdown passes, completion rate (70.7 percent) and a 121.5 rating. He was picked off just five times.
“It is really special to have won it in my fourth year as a starter and now to win it in my 13th year as a starter in a new offense is pretty amazing and something I am very proud of,” Rodgers said, “To have sustained success and be able to play your best football at 37 in my 16th season is something I take a lot of pride in.”
Also no surprise is that only quarterbacks received votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league. After all, pro football in recent years has been all about the QBs: The past eight MVPs and 13 of the past 14 have been quarterbacks.
Rodgers received 44 votes, followed by Buffalo’s Josh Allen with four, and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes, the 2018 MVP, with two.
Rodgers was league MVP in 2011 and 2014. He joins former teammate Brett Favre and Tom Brady as a three-time winner.
“The guys on that list are guys I grew up watching and idolizing,” he said. “I was fortunate to play with Brett for three years — a guy who won it three years in a row, something that will probably never be done again; it’s so difficult to have that sustained success, and do it in consecutive years three times. And Tom is one of the greatest of all time, and to join that list of guys who have won it more than two times is really special.”
Peyton Manning has the most MVP awards with five.
The winner was revealed on the NFL Honors television show.
