NFL MVP: Mahomes v. Rodgers

How great is the NFL and its 2020 MVP Race? Also, how great are these three players?

3. Russell Wilson

Wilson is not out of the running per se, but the other two have pulled away with distance.

Wilson leads the NFL with 30 touchdown passes. He also is asked to be great more frequently than any other player.

To climb back into first though, Wilson needs to win Seattle the NFC West and perhaps the top seed in the NFC. Because Seattle has the easiest remaining schedule of all three teams, both goals are in play if Wilson can overcome his putrid defense.

2. Aaron Rodgers, 1. Patrick Mahomes

Mahomes and Rodgers are so close you can't make the case for one without making a mild case against the other.

This week, it's simple. In Week 11, both QBs trailed by three on their last fourth-quarter possession. Rodgers settled for a field goal and lost in overtime. Mahomes threw a game-winning touchdown. 

The MVP award is about moments and stories. Sunday night, Mahomes gave over 20 million viewers a moment. His swagger wasn't that he needed to win the game — it was that he was supposed to. That's the difference between great and historic. 

Mahomes v. Rodgers could come down to Mahomes' marquee, must-watch games against the Bucs and Saints. If he wins both and performs well, he wins it. If he loses both and struggles, Rodgers gets it again. And if he splits, it comes down to the final seconds of Week 17.

Right now, however, Mahomes is the front-runner.