Golden Nuggets, 12/30: Can Aaron Rodgers win the NFL MVP?

Going in his favor, the Green Bay Packers still need a win to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC this season, and Aaron Rodgers should see a bevy of playing time as such in the team’s final regular-season game of 2020. As such, his MVP candidacy gets that much stronger if he has a great game against the Chicago Bears.

While some think he may have clinched the MVP this past weekend on a snowy Lambeau Field, Rodgers can truly ‘ice’ the award with a fate-clinching victory over the Bears. It bodes well for Rodgers that he just threw four touchdowns against Chicago just five weeks ago and also that a win for Green Bay essentially knocks the Bears out of the playoffs (they would still need Arizona to win).

For the season, Rodgers has now thrown 44 touchdowns compared to just five interceptions and 4,059 yards. He’s completing 70.3% of his passes and has thrown multiple touchdowns in all but two games this year including six games with four touchdown passes alone.

He’s five touchdowns away from matching his career-high in touchdowns, and though that seems unlikely that he reaches or passes that mark, it’s still arguably his best season to date, and perhaps even the best season we’ve seen from a quarterback in some time.

That even dates back to Patrick Mahomes’ dominant season that saw him truly emerge onto the scene.

Speaking of Mahomes, it is Kansas City’s quarterback who Rodgers just officially ‘passed’ on most MVP-watchers betting odds thanks to his four-touchdown performance against Tennessee last weekend.

He rose to the league’s No. 1 betting favorite ahead of Mahomes for the first time this season after the performance in Week 16, and there is no denying that a No. 1 seed-clinching victory over Chicago would ultimately, truly ice the league’s top player award for the former Cal bear.

But don’t take my word for it:

Aaron Rodgers likely iced the 2020 NFL MVP | Newsweek

Aaron Rodgers passes Patrick Mahomes in odds to win 2020 NFL MVP | The Duel

NFL MVP watch 2020: Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes ... or someone else? | ESPN

The winners and losers from NFL Week 16 | The Ringer

Here’s how Aaron Rodgers all but locked up the MVP award | CBSSports