For NFL MVP, people might say Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen or Saquon Barkley are leaders, but their teams have won games on the other side of the ball. (I think Philly's defense beat Jacksonville, for instance.) Is there a more viable option for MVP than Micah Parsons through these first five weeks? If so, how do you figure? – THOMAS NARRO / ARLINGTON, MA
Patrik: I think you'd objectively have to put Josh Allen as the frontrunner in this conversation, and Jalen Hurts is in the discussion as well but, to your point, there's no one on the defensive side of the ball who should be ahead of Micah Parsons right now. He's not only the lead horse for Defensive Player of the Year, but look at the menace he's become since stepping foot in the league – sacking Matthew Stafford twice (forcing a fumble as well) with a possible groin injury and leading an elite defense (and the league) in both sacks (t-1st) and pressures. He'll be hard-pressed to get the necessary votes over a dominant QB, but he'd get mine.
Rob: You've got no argument from me, but you'll always hear about quarterbacks and running backs as the top candidates first. A QB and/or RB has won the award every year since 1987. The last 35 seasons! The last defensive player to do it was Lawrence Taylor in 1986. Football is the absolute ultimate team game, and for that reason I would like to see a player at a different position win it. You can't tell me Aaron Donald hasn't been deserving of MVP for the Rams in the past. If the Cowboys keep winning games like this and end up with the best record in the NFC or something, that will shine a brighter light on just how much Parsons means to his team.
