There isn't a position in the NFL more valuable than quarterback.
That's kind of why they have a stranglehold on the MVP award, with signal-callers being bestowed the honor in 19 of the last 23 seasons. It's a long-standing trend that will almost certainly continue this season, but also begs the question: Why don't QBs get their hands on another piece of NFL hardware?
In recent seasons, the Offensive Player of the Year award has been gifted to the most valuable offensive player that doesn't play quarterback. Justin Jefferson (2022), Cooper Kupp (2021), Derrick Henry (2020) and Michael Thomas (2019) have won the award over the past four seasons, with the last MVP/OPOY winner being Patrick Mahomes in 2018. The league's voters seem to be straying away from gifting both awards to the same player, which they've done 11 times since the turn of the century.
That isn't stopping bettors from taking a long look at quarterbacks to win the award, however, with FanDuel Sportsbook providing some enticing odds.
2023 NFL OPOY Odds
Ja'Marr Chase +1100
Justin Jefferson +1400
Christian McCaffrey +1400
Nick Chubb +1800
Tyreek Hill +2000
Lamar Jackson +2200
Patrick Mahomes +2500
Garrett Wilson +2500
Justin Fields +2800
Cooper Kupp +3000
There are just three quarterbacks in that list of 10, with dual-threat men in Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Justin Fields all cracking the list.
This makes sense, as Mahomes is a unicorn and the duo of Jackson and Fields might just be competing for the QB rushing record this season. If you're into making futures bets, you have to resist the temptation, though. The likelihood that a player doubles up on those awards is extremely slim, with a record-setting season likely being needed to do so.
That might not even matter, though, as it is a real possibility that one of the many great wideouts in the NFL breaks a record of their own on the way to winning the OPOY again.
Jefferson is clearly capable, considering he won last season, while Chase, Hill and Kupp are all one healthy season away from winning it easily. There's also a litany of darkhorse candidates, none of which play QB.
In an uncertain game, the fact they won't give OPOY to a QB is the closest thing you'll get to a certainty.
