If the NFL MVP actually went to the best (and in hindsight, most valuable) player in the NFL every season – regardless of positional value, politics, storyline etc – who would have won it every single season in the Super Bowl era? Let’s talk about it.
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NFL True Winners Since 1967
- 1967: Deacon Jones
- 1968: Deacon Jones
- 1969: Deacon Jones
One of the first true superstars of the Super Bowl era. 58.5 sacks in these three years (not to mention another 55 in the three years prior), Deacon was an absolute force – and not the only Rams defensive lineman to appear on this list.
- 1970: Alan Page
- 1971: Alan Page
- 1972: Joe Green
- 1973: OJ Simpson
- 1974: Joe Green
- 1975: OJ Simpson
It’s easy to forget (for obvious reasons), but OJ Simpson was really good in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills. In both ‘73 and ‘75, he had over 2,000 total scrimmage yards, and in ‘75 he set the NFL record (at the time) with 23 combined rushing and receiving touchdowns.
- 1976: Jack Lambert
- 1977: Walter Payton
- 1978: Al Baker
- 1979: Earl Campbell
- 1980: Lester Hayes
- 1981: Lawrence Taylor
- 1982: Lawrence Taylor
Taylor is arguably the defensive GOAT, and for good reason: 8 first-team all-pro appearances in 9 years, 142 career sacks, 44 forced fumbles. But no MVPs? Make it make sense when a kicker (Mark Moseley) won MVP in 1982…
- 1983: Eric Dickerson
- 1984: Dan Marino
There’s a reason everybody talks about how Marino was ahead of his time.
- 1985: Marcus Allen
- 1986: Lawrence Taylor
- 1987: Jerry Rice
- 1988: Reggie White
- 1989: Joe Montana
- 1990: Joe Montana
- 1991: Barry Sanders
- 1992: Emmitt Smith
- 1993: Jerry Rice
- 1994: Steve Young
- 1995: Jerry Rice
Between Rice, Montana, and Young, the 80’s and 90’s 49ers sported three of the greatest offensive players the sport has ever seen… in the same decade.
- 1996: Brett Favre
- 1997: Brett Favre
- 1998: Terrell Davis
- 1999: Ray Lewis
- 2000: Ray Lewis
- 2001: Michael Strahan
Sure, the last sack on Favre was kinda fake, but you can’t take anything away from how terrifying the GMA host was on the edge for the Giants the year he set the sack record.
2002: Derrick Brooks
One of the most underrated seasons of the last quarter century belongs to Brooks, who had three pick-6s for the Super Bowl champion Bucs.
- 2003: Peyton Manning
- 2004: Peyton Manning
- 2005: Shaun Alexander
- 2006: LaDanian Tomlinson
- 2007: Tom Brady
Ah yes. The emergence of Tom Brady. While Brady had been elite before 2007, including multiple top-3 MVP finishes, Peyton was the best signal caller in the league, and Alexander and LT had two all-time great rushing seasons. But in ‘07, Brady took the crown, with 4,800 yards and 50 TDs for the undefeated Patriots.
- 2008: Drew Brees
- 2009: Darelle Revis
Revis Island wasn’t just folklore – he was as good as it gets as a cornerback. His 31 passes defended are the most in a season since 1999, and he added six interceptions in 2009 while helping the Jets reach the AFC Championship.
- 2010: Tom Brady
- 2011: Aaron Rodgers
- 2012: JJ Watt
- 2013: Peyton Manning
- 2014: JJ Watt
- 2015: Cam Newton
- 2016: Tom Brady
- 2017: Tom Brady
- 2018: Patrick Mahomes
- 2019: Patrick Mahomes
The 2010s were the decade of the QBs. From Rodgers and Brady to the 55 TD Manning season to Cam Newton’s iconic 2015 MVP campaign to the emergence of Patrick Mahomes, quarterback play across the league reached an unprecedented level this decade, and we also saw the popularization of the dual threat QB as well.
- 2020: Aaron Donald
- 2021: Cooper Kupp
It’s fitting that the Rams had two different players claim the “Best in the World” title en route to winning the Super Bowl in their home stadium in 2021. Donald is the best pass rushing interior defensive lineman of all time, and Kupp won the receiving triple crown.
- 2022: Patrick Mahomes
- 2023: Patrick Mahomes
- 2024: Myles Garrett
- 2025: Myles Garrett
Saquon Barkley, Josh Allen, and Lamar Jackson all deserve some love for their incredible 2024 seasons, but nobody was more dominant than Garrett, who then proved his superstardom by setting the new sack record in 2025 with a whopping 23 for the Browns.
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