NFL Odds: Patriots QB Mac Jones Worth Betting As 2022 MVP Long Shot?
Jones is +6000 to bring home the hardware
We're less than two weeks removed from Super Bowl LVI, and this could be a league-altering offseason, but it's never too early to start looking at the NFL futures market.
For now, let's focus on MVP odds for the 2022 season.
The board, as you'd expect, is dominated by quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers won the award the last two seasons, meaning a QB now has taken home MVP honors nine years in a row.
The last non-QB to win the MVP award: running back Adrian Peterson, who at the time snapped a five-year run for signal-callers that included Tom Brady (twice), Peyton Manning (twice) and Rodgers.
Rodgers (+800) sits behind only Patrick Mahomes (+750) and Josh Allen (+750) -- two elite quarterbacks -- among 2022 MVP favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook. The eight shortest odds belong to QBs.
Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (+2500) has the shortest odds among non-quarterbacks, sitting right alongside Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson (+2500).
So, what about Mac Jones?
The New England Patriots quarterback earned a Pro Bowl selection in his first season and finished second to Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase in Rookie of the Year voting. Could he take the next step in 2022 and thrust himself into the MVP conversation if the Patriots return to prominence?
Jones currently sits at +6000 -- right behind Kirk Cousins, Derek Carr, Deebo Samuel and Trey Lance, all of whom sit at +5000.
Cousins and Carr are two good, not great, quarterbacks, while Samuel, a wide receiver, has blossomed into a versatile threat for the San Francisco 49ers. Lance, the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft (selected 12 spots ahead of Jones), is a total unknown after starting just two games and attempting 71 passes in his rookie season with San Francisco.
Jones, at +6000, sits just ahead of Chase, Jameis Winston, Davante Adams and Trevor Lawrence, all of whom have +8000 odds to win MVP in 2022.
Here's a look at all players with +10000 or shorter odds, per DraftKings Sportsbook:
Patrick Mahomes +750
Josh Allen +750
Aaron Rodgers +800
Joe Burrow +1400
Dak Prescott +1600
Justin Herbert +1600
Matthew Stafford +1800
Kyler Murray +2200
Derrick Henry +2500
Russell Wilson +2500
Lamar Jackson +2800
Jonathan Taylor +2800
Cooper Kupp +3500
Deshaun Watson +3500
Jalen Hurts +4000
Kirk Cousins +5000
Derek Carr +5000
Deebo Samuel +5000
Trey Lance +5000
Mac Jones +6000
Jameis Winston +8000
Ja'Marr Chase +8000
Davante Adams +8000
Trevor Lawrence +8000
Dalvin Cook +10000
Christian McCaffrey +10000
Baker Mayfield +10000
Alvin Kamara +10000
Austin Ekeler +10000
Nick Chubb +10000
Jimmy Garoppolo +10000
Matt Ryan +10000
Justin Fields +10000
Ryan Tannehill +10000
There's a very good chance a quarterback will win the award again next season. And there are a decent amount of legitimate candidates based on the influx of talent at the position in recent years. Mahomes and Allen, for instance, are proven studs, while Burrow and Herbert are ascending and could make for good bets at the right price.
It's hard to imagine Mac Jones putting up gaudy stats in 2022, as the Patriots again might deploy a run-first offense, much like they did throughout his rookie season. But with such long odds, perhaps it's worth sprinkling a little something on the Alabama product, on the off chance he plays an instrumental role in New England reentering the Super Bowl conversation.
