J.J. Watt Deserving Of MVP Consideration, But Award Belongs To Aaron Rodgers

J.J. Watt’s monster season has him drawing serious MVP consideration.

The Houston Texans defensive end has been unstoppable, ranking fifth in the NFL in sacks with 11.5 and first in the NFL with 36 quarterback hits while also recording eight batted passes, three forced fumbles and 16 tackles for loss — not to mention the three offensive touchdowns Watt has scored as a receiver.

While his Texans teammate DeAndre Hopkins certainly believes Watt is more deserving of the award than Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who has once again put up insane numbers, former linebacker Brady Poppinga isn’t so sure about that. In his latest post for Football by Football, Poppinga praises Watt and his ability to singlehandedly change a game, but he added that Rodgers is ultimately the one who should come away with the award.

“Each week Watt’s play greatly affects the Texans’ outcome. A player who carries the greatest burden of the team’s success is, in essence, the definition of an MVP, and Watt definitely fits the bill.

“However, I disagree with Hopkins. Even though Watt is playing out of his mind, defensive linemen can only do so much even if they do appear in scoring situations. The one position that by its nature carries the greatest burden for a team’s success is quarterback. If you have a quarterback playing at a championship level like Rodgers, there’s no way the MVP could go to any other position — even a defensive lineman playing as well as Watt.”