Faith in Mike McDaniel clearly reflected in Justin Herbert's early 2026 NFL MVP odds

While Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert was not among the five finalists for Most Valuable Player at last week's NFL Honors ceremony, he did receive one first-place vote, a vote that turned out to be quite controversial and may have ultimately decided the race.

Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford, of course, won the award with 366 total points, receiving 24 first-place votes, while New England Patriots signal-caller Drake Maye finished second, earning 23 first-place votes. Had Herbert's lone vote, which was cast by The 33rd Team's Sam Monson, gone to Maye in what turned out to be the closest race since 2003, Maye wins.

Monson admirably outed himself as the one who voted for Herbert, rather than keeping it a secret, justifying his decision in a post on his X account, which naturally drew a ton of heat. Maye's lackluster performance in the Patriots' Super Bowl 60 loss to the Seattle Seahawks curbed the controversy a bit, but even if he had played the perfect game with the Lombardi on the line, what's done is done, and the focus of every NFL team is now on the 2026 campaign.

To that end, sportsbooks wasted little time in posting odds on certain aspects of next season, obviously including NFL MVP, and Herbert is projected to be right in the thick of the race—and not just as someone who shakes up the vote from the outside.

Justin Herbert is tied for third in the early 2026 NFL MVP odds

As a team, the Chargers were given surprisingly good odds to win Super Bowl 61, tying for the ninth-best overall and the fourth-best among AFC teams.

From an individual standpoint, Herbert fared even better. While Josh Allen (+550) and Lamar Jackson (+650) took the top two slots, Herbert sits in a tie for third at +1000 alongside Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, and none other than Drake Maye. That's some pretty solid company.

Now, one has to wonder if Herbert, who's posted big numbers for years but has never been a genuine factor in the race, is in the position he's in here because oddsmakers see him thriving even more now that Mike McDaniel has come on as the Chargers' offensive coordinator.

In his introductory presser late last month, McDaniel gave a little insight into how he plans to get the most out of his new quarterback, explaining how he hopes the six-year veteran can be put into a position where he doesn't have to put the Bolts on his back all the time. Basically, he wants Herbert to do more by doing less, which should be absurdly entertaining to watch as the season progresses.

For Herbert to truly thrive, of course, he'll have to hope the Chargers do what must be done this offseason to fix the issues on the offensive line. And another weapon or two certainly wouldn't hurt, but we'll dive into all of that another time.

The numbers you'll see below will obviously change several times over the next few months as rosters for the 2026 season start to fall into shape in free agency and the draft. But for now, this is what the top 10 looks like in the far-too-early 2026 NFL MVP odds.

All betting odds courtesy of DraftKings. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. The content in this article should not be considered betting advice. Gambling involves risk, and one should only gamble with funds that one can comfortably afford to lose. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.