9. Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals
- Average ranking: 9.2
- Highest ranking: 8
Kyler Murray was an MVP candidate halfway through the season and tapered off towards the end. Murray is entering his third season as one of the most exciting quarterbacks in football and is a good sleeper pick for the MVP award.
That shows just how talented the quarterback position is in 2021. Murray is an electric young quarterback and he barely cracks the top 10.
8. Justin Herbert, LA Chargers
- Average ranking: 8.2
- Highest ranking: 7
I know, there are a lot of LA Chargers fans who woul rank Justin Herbert in the top five and are disappointed by this ranking. I definitely understand that sentiment and think there is a really good chacne that he finishes the season as a bonafide top-five quarterback.
That being said, as good as he was last year, with how talented the position is in 2021 it is fair to rank him eighth. Four of the seven players ahead of him have won the MVP award.
Justin Herbert has the third-best MVP odds in the NFL and if he is in the running for the award he will kick someone out of the top five and cement himself in that elite tier.
7. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
- Average ranking: 6.6
- Highest ranking: 5
Just to be transparent, I rankde Justin Herbert over Dak Prescott and I have been one of the biggest Prescott supporters over the last several years. His injury is something to keep an eye on in 2021.
Prescott is another solid pick for MVP as he is super talented and arguably has the best weapons in the league around him. That being said, the defense is still terrible and the Cowboys are going to have to really right the ship for him to win the award. I don't have him ranking higher than Justin Herbert, although personally, I would have flipped the two.
6. Tom Brady, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Average ranking: 6.2
- Highest ranking: 5
Look, he may no longer look great and definitely does not pass the eye test for being a top quarterback in the league anymore. But the fact of the matter is that nobody is better, across all of American sports, at winning than Tom Brady.
The guy is a born winner and winning is the most important thing in the sport. It might not always be pretty, and he certainly has a lot of help around him, but it would be criminal to rank him any lower than sixth.