On Sunday, Feb. 13, the NFL will crown a new champion as the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals meet in Super Bowl 56. The hallowed Lombardi Trophy will not be the only piece of hardware handed out amidst the confetti, Gatorade, and celebrations at Super Bowl 56 at SoFi Stadium. The MVP of the Super Bowl will also be honored and receive the Pete Rozelle Trophy, which is named after former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle.
Kupp Named Super Bowl MVP in Rams’ Win
After making eight catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown with 1:25 left in the game, Los Angeles Rams receiver Cooper Kupp was named MVP of Super Bowl 56.
Here is Kupp’s clutch catch, which helped secure the Rams’ 23-20 win and the franchise’s first Super Bowl title since their move to Los Angeles.
Long MVP Odds for Big Game Losers
In all likelihood, the MVP will come from the winning team. A Most Valuable Player award has been given out at every Super Bowl, starting with the first one in 1967. In over five decades, there has been only one Super Bowl MVP from the losing team.
In Super Bowl V, the Dallas Cowboys lost to the Baltimore Colts (now the Indianapolis Colts). But in a sloppy game that featured 11 total turnovers–seven by the winning team–Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley was named MVP after recording two interceptions and a forced fumble.
Given that was 51 years ago, the Super Bowl 56 MVP will not likely come from the losing team.
The NFL playoffs started with 14 teams, and only two teams now remain. The upcoming Super Bowl matchup will see the Los Angeles Rams play for a title in their home stadium against the upstart Cincinnati Bengals. The Rams defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, while the Bengals stunned the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
So, which players are likely to take home the Pete Rozelle Trophy come February 13?
Here is how Super Bowl MVP odds stack up with the Super Bowl matchup almost here. One name has been removed from the odds due to injury, as Rams tight end Tyler Higbee will not play against the Bengals. He wasn’t a serious MVP contender, as he was listed at +10000, but he was one of the Rams’ leading pass-catchers this season.
Super Bowl MVP Odds and History
Odds to Win Super Bowl 56 Most Valuable Player (as of Sunday, February 13, 2022)
- Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams +145
- Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals +225
- Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams +600
- Aaron Donald, DT, St. Louis Rams +1200
- Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals +1800
- Odell Beckham, WR, Los Angeles Rams +2500
- Cam Akers, RB, Los Angeles Rams +3000
- Von Miller, LB, Los Angeles Rams +3000
- Joe Mixon, RB, Cincinnati Bengals +3500
- Tee Higgins, WR, Cincinnati Bengals +5000
- Evan McPherson, K, Cincinnati Bengals +6600
- Sony Michel, RB, Los Angeles Rams +8000
- Samaje Perine, RB, Cincinnati Bengals +10000
- Tyler Boyd, WR, Cincinnati Bengals +10000
- C.J. Uzomah, TE, Cincinnati Bengals +10000
- Trey Hendrickson, DE, Cincinnati Bengals +10000
- Van Jefferson, WR, Los Angeles Rams +10000
- Kendall Blanton, TE, Los Angeles Rams +10000
- Leonard Floyd, LB, Los Angeles Rams +10000
- Jalen Ramsey, CB, Los Angeles Rams +10000
- Matt Gay, K, Los Angeles Rams +10000
Odds are via BetMGM.
Stafford Favored for MVP Over Burrow, Kupp
Aaron Rodgers was aiming to become the first player to win NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP in the same season since Kurt Warner did so in 1999. Rodgers won NFL MVP for the second straight year but won’t add the other award or a second Super Bowl title.
Tom Brady was the third favorite behind Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes and was vying to become only the third player to win the award in back-to-back years. However, his Bucs fell to the Rams in the Divisional Round. Will that be the last time we see Brady in an NFL uniform?
So, with the NFL playoff bracket down to only four teams, Mahomes sat atop the award odds. Mahomes was named MVP when the Chiefs defeated the 49ers to win the title two years ago and was looking to join Brady among the group of players to win the award multiple times.
However, just as Rodgers and Brady will not get to pursue a notable achievement, neither will Mahomes. The Chiefs were heavily favored over the Bengals in the AFC Championship Game and dominated early. But they couldn’t hold a 21-3 lead, and with their overtime win, the Bengals are in the big game for the first time since the 1988 season.
Rams QB Matthew Stafford was fifth before the divisional round and second entering the NFC Championship Game. But with the Rams favored to take down the Bengals on Super Bowl Sunday, Stafford is now the Super Bowl MVP favorite.
Brady won the Super Bowl and Super Bowl MVP in a home Super Bowl in his first season with the Bucs last season. Now, Stafford could do the same in his first season with the Rams.
Best Bets to Win Super Bowl MVP
Quarterbacks get the most attention and accolades out of any individual position on the football field. So, it is not at all surprising that the two starting quarterbacks sit atop the odds.
However, it is also on merit, as both have performed superbly to lead their teams to the big game. And given how frequently quarterbacks have won Super Bowl MVP, they are easily the best bets to make.
Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams (+110)
Stafford’s Playoff Statistics: 72 of 100 (72%), 905 yards, 6 TD passes, INT, two rushing touchdowns
Prior to this season, Stafford’s playoff experience was limited to three wild-card losses with the Detroit Lions, the most recent coming in the 2016 season.
But the Rams made the Stafford trade one year ago with the confidence that he could lead them to this point, and he has done just that. After throwing for 4,886 yards and 41 touchdowns in the regular season, Stafford has been superb in the Rams’ three playoff wins.
In the NFC Championship Game, the Rams were staring at elimination, trailing 17-7 late in the third quarter. From there, Stafford led three consecutive scoring drives to produce the game’s final 13 points, making a number of key completions along the way. In the win, he finished 31 of 45 for 337 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception.
Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals (+210)
Burrow’s Playoff Statistics: 75 of 109 (68.8%), 842 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT
Burrow has the talent and potential to be a superstar in the NFL for years to come, but his star is shining pretty brightly in the present as well.
His numbers may not quite match Stafford’s, but Joey B is a big reason why the Bengals knocked off the AFC’s top two seeds on the road. Against the Titans, he overcame nine sacks to throw for almost 350 yards in the Bengals’ 19-16 win. And in Kansas City, he made numerous important plays with his arm and his legs to lead Cincinnati’s comeback.
If you want to jump on the value train, focus on the wide receivers. Chase (20 catches, 279 yards, TD), Kupp (25 catches, 386 yards, 4 TD), and Beckham (19 catches, 236 yards, TD) have all been standout performers in the playoffs.
Chase is poised to beat out Patriots QB Mac Jones to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, while Kupp is up against Colts RB Jonathan Taylor for NFL Offensive Player of the Year after one of the best seasons in NFL history for a wide receiver. So, those two could come away with even more hardware over the coming weeks.
And what a story it would be for OBJ to be released by the Browns midseason then win Super Bowl MVP and a title with the Rams months later.
Super Bowl Most Valuable Player History
Recent Super Bowl MVP Winners
- 2021 (Super Bowl LV): Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 2020 (Super Bowl LIV): Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
- 2019 (Super Bowl LII): Julian Edelman, WR, New England Patriots
- 2018 (Super Bowl LII): Nick Foles, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
- 2017 (Super Bowl LI): Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
- 2016 (Super Bowl 50): Von Miller, LB, Denver Broncos
- 2015 (Super Bowl XLIX): Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
- 2014 (Super Bowl XLVIII): Malcolm Smith, LB, Seattle Seahawks
- 2013 (Super Bowl XLVII): Joe Flacco, QB, Baltimore Ravens
- 2012 (Super Bowl XLVI): Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants
- 2011 (Super Bowl XLV): Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers
- 2010 (Super Bowl XLIV): Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints
- 2009 (Super Bowl XLIII): Santonio Holmes, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
- 2008 (Super Bowl XLII): Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants
- 2007 (Super Bowl XLI): Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis Colts
- 2006 (Super Bowl XL): Hines Ward, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
- 2005 (Super Bowl XXXIX): Deion Branch, WR, New England Patriots
- 2004 (Super Bowl XXXVIII): Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
- 2003 (Super Bowl XXXVII): Dexter Jackson, S, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 2002 (Super Bowl XXXVI): Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
Who has won Super Bowl MVP the most times?
Brady leads the way with five. Last year, Brady took Super Bowl MVP honors as the Bucs defeated the Chiefs in Super Bowl 55 at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium.
The only other player with more than two is Joe Montana. Montana picked up three during the San Francisco 49ers’ run of four titles in nine seasons.
Three other players also have two, and all three, like Brady and Montana, are quarterbacks. Like Montana (and eventually Brady), two of the three are already in the Hall of Fame, and the third at some point: Bart Starr of the Green Bay Packers (I and II), Terry Bradshaw of the Pittsburgh Steelers (XIII and XIV), and Eli Manning of the New York Giants (XLII and XLVI).
Has anyone won Super Bowl MVP in back-to-back years?
To date, Starr and Bradshaw are the only two players to win the award in back-to-back years.
Which position has won Super Bowl MVP the most?
As with the NFL MVP, quarterbacks have dominated the award, winning it 31 of 55 times. Running backs and wide receivers come in next with seven apiece. Linebacker (four), defensive end (two), and safety (also two) have been the most frequent winners on the defensive side of the ball.
Which positions have never won Super Bowl MVP? No offensive linemen or kickers have, but that is not a major surprise. On the other hand, in what may come as a surprise to some, no tight ends have.
The lone return man to win the award, Green Bay’s Desmond Howard is one of only four players to win both the Heisman Trophy and Super Bowl MVP. Roger Staubach, Jim Plunkett, and Marcus Allen are the other three.
Here is a breakdown of Super Bowl MVP winners by position:
- Quarterback: 31 (Most Recent: Bucs QB Tom Brady in Super Bowl LV in 2021)
- Running Back: 7 (Most Recent: Denver Broncos RB Terrell Davis in Super Bowl XXXII in 1998)
- Wide Receiver: 7 (Most Recent: Pats WR Edelman in Super Bowl LIII in 2019)
- Tight End: Never
- Offensive Line: Never
- Defensive End: 2 (Most Recent: Chicago Bears DE Richard Dent in Super Bowl XX in 1986)
- Defensive Tackle: 1 (Dallas Cowboys DT Randy White in Super Bowl XII in 1978 – shared)
- Linebacker: 4 (Most Recent: Broncos LB Miller in Super Bowl 50 in 2016)
- Cornerback: 1 (Dallas Cowboys CB Larry Brown in Super Bowl XXX in 1996)
- Safety: 2 (Most Recent: Bucs S Jackson in Super Bowl XXXVII in 2002)
- Kicker/Punter: Never
- Kick/Punt Returner: 1 (Green Bay Packers WR/KR/PR Desmond Howard in Super Bowl XXXI in 1997)
Who is the last defensive player to win Super Bowl MVP?
To date, linebacker Von Miller is the last defensive player to be named Super Bowl MVP. Miller, now with the Los Angeles Rams, helped lead the Denver Broncos to a 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers. In the win, Miller had six tackles and two sacks and forced two fumbles.
Which players have won NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP in the same season?
Only five players have pulled off the sweep in the same season: Starr (1966), Bradshaw (1978), Montana (1989), Emmitt Smith (1993), and Kurt Warner (1999).
Thirteen players have won both in their career, with Mahomes being the most recent member. He won NFL MVP in 2018, then bagged the Pete Rozelle Trophy two years ago when the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers to win their first title in 50 years.
Has the Super Bowl MVP ever even been shared?
That has happened only once. The Cowboys defeated the Denver Broncos to win Super Bowl XII, with a dominant defensive effort–eight forced turnovers, four sacks, 156 total yards allowed–leading the way in the win. After playing a key role in the victory, defensive end Harvey Martin and defensive tackle Randy White shared the award.
Has a rookie ever won Super Bowl MVP?
To date, no rookie has won the award. There is one major contender this year in Chase, the Bengals’ standout receiver.
Chase finished the regular season fourth in the NFL in receiving yards (1,455) and third in receiving touchdowns (13). In three playoff games, Chase has 20 catches for 279 yards and a touchdown and five rushing attempts for 28 yards.
