Dan Orlovsky Shares Personal MVP Decision on Thursday

Dan Orlovsky Reveals His NFL MVP Pick Ahead of Week 9

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Mahomes (+150) is considered the favorite to take home this season's MVP award. Right behind him is Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who won the award last season.

However, another name that has entered the conversation is Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, who owns the sixth-best odds to win MVP, according to FanDuel.

There has never been any doubt about the New Jersey native's talents. He is a two-time Pro Bowler and a First-Team All-Pro selection. However, it is not common for running backs to be in the MVP discussion in the modern era.

The last running back to win MVP was former Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson in 2012, when he rushed for 2,097 yards (just eight fewer than Eric Dickerson's single-season record of 2,105 rushing yards) and 12 touchdowns. Peterson had a near-historic season, yet he only received 61% of the votes for the award compared to then-Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning's 39%.

Still, in 2025, Taylor finds himself as a legitimate candidate for the award. Through eight games, he is leading the NFL in rushing yards (850) and rushing touchdowns (12). He also has 25 receptions for 206 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. He has recorded three games of rushing for three or more touchdowns.

However, despite Taylor's incredible season so far, Orlovsky is not entirely sold. Instead, he believes the award should go to New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, who is having an exceptional second season in the NFL.

"Jonathan [Taylor's] having an outstanding season. There is nothing that I can say in a negative fashion about him, [but] the MVP of the NFL right now is Drake Maye," Orlovsky said on Thursday's episode of "Get Up."

"One, Stef [Stefon Diggs] is coming off an ACL [injury]. Two, Kayshon Boutte's their No. 2 receiver. He wasn't this highly drafted wide receiver. He's got two tight ends [Hunter Henry and Austin Hooper] that are certainly longer in their careers than they are younger. Drake Maye's playing quarterback just as good as anybody with the least amount of help around him."

Through eight games this season, Maye has thrown for 2,026 yards, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions. Additionally, his 75.2% completion is the highest of all qualified quarterbacks in the NFL.

In just his second season in the league, the 23-year-old has led New England to a 6-2 record and a half-game lead over the Bills in the AFC East. The Patriots own a tiebreaker over the Bills thanks to a 23-20 victory in Buffalo in Week 5.

It remains to be seen if Maye can keep up this pace for the second half of the season, but there is no denying he has played like one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. And if he can continue to play at this level for the rest of the season, then he almost certainly would be among the favorites to win the MVP award.