Aaron Rodgers Has Locked Up His Third MVP Award

Aaron Rodgers has been the best player in the NFL this season. Full stop. There are no addendums to that statement. On Sunday night, the Green Bay Packers quarterback locked up his third MVP award and there should be no debate about it.

Rodgers led his Packers to a dominant 40-14 victory over the Tennessee Titans at snowy Lambeau field. He completed 21 of 25 passes for 231 yards, with four touchdowns and an interception. He wasn't perfect but he was excellent as he inched Green Bay (12-3) closer to the top seed in the NFC.

Patrick Mahomes is Rodgers' only competition for the award this season, and his Kansas City Chiefs did clinch the top spot in the AFC on Sunday. While Mahomes has been his usual, jaw-dropping self this season, he hasn't been as sharp as Rodgers. The 25-year-old reigning Super Bowl MVP leads the NFL in passing yards (4,740) but trails Rodgers in every other major quarterback statistic.

At 37, Rodgers is having his best season since his first MVP campaign in 2011. So far in 2020 he's completed 70.3 percent of his passes for 4,059 yards, with 44 touchdowns and five interceptions. He's averaging 8.1 yards per attempt and leads the league in passer rating (119.4) and QBR (83.9). He trails only Drew Brees in completion percentage, is fifth in yards and first in touchdowns. He's also added three rushing scores.

If he does secure his third MVP award, Rodgers will join Peyton Manning, Jim Brown, Tom Brady and yes, Brett Favre, as they only men who have done it in NFL history. Manning did it five times, so Rodgers has a target to chase.

Throughout the season, Rodgers has seemed somehow more relaxed as he's blitzed through opposing defenses. He's admitted to being unhappy the Packers used a first-round selection on quarterback Jordan Love during the 2020 NFL Draft. Green Bay took his potential successor and didn't bother to draft him any real help. It wouldn't be shocking if that fueled him this season on a quest to prove himself.

The nine-time Pro Bowler has shown he's far from washed up. In fact, he's wrested the MVP trophy away from quarterbacks more than a decade younger than him. Rodgers has defied his critics and been the best the league has to offer in 2020.