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Cris Collinsworth Floats Dark Horse Pick For The NFL's 2024 MVP

Originally posted on The Spun | By Matt Hladik | Last updated Nov 25, 2024 3:09 PM ET

There are still six weeks remaining in the NFL season, but the league MVP race is already taking shape.

Buffalo's Josh Allen and Baltimore's Lamar Jackson have garnered the most attention, with Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley stating his case as he makes a run at the single-season rushing record. Just after Barkley, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff is also lurking with his team sitting at 10-1 overall.

According to the latest odds from DraftKings, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has only the seventh-best chance to win the MVP, but NBC game analyst Cris Collinsworth was willing to discuss the fifth-year pro's candidacy during Philly's 37-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams Sunday night.

In the final minutes of the game, NBC play-by-play man Mike Tirico brought up the topic of the MVP race, arguing that there's too much time left to really think about it deeply.

Collinsworth then chimed in, bringing up the idea of Hurts as a legit MVP candidate.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - DECEMBER 03: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs off the field at halftime in the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Lincoln Financial Field on December 03, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

“But when you get two of those MVP candidates on the same team, when you’ve got Lamar and you get Derrick Henry on the same team," Collinsworth said. "And now, I think that you have to think the same way with the Philadelphia Eagles. With what we’ve been able to see tonight out of Jalen Hurts the way he’s controlling and not making mistakes out there. Saquon, this offensive line. I don’t know who we’re giving game balls tonight, but we can pass them around here to the Eagles.”

Hurts is having a fine season--2,376 yards passing, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions along with 456 rushing yards and 11 TDs--but right now, his MVP case isn't even close to that of Barkley, who rushed for 255 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday. Hurts is also pretty far behind Allen and Jackson, and likely Goff as well.

Could that change over the next six weeks? Potentially, but right now, looking at Hurts as an MVP possibility seems far-fetched.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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