Trevor Lawrence counted as 2023 NFL MVP contender

Trevor Lawrence could garner Jacksonville's first-ever NFL MVP vote and even take the whole thing in his time with the franchise. (Photo: Kirby Lee / USATODAY)

Brandon Rink · Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer · Saturday, July 01 2023

The NFL MVP discussion is already underway and Clemson has a pro in the contenders list to make some history.

NFL.com took aim at the contenders to bring a first MVP to an NFL franchise and Trevor Lawrence was regarded as in the mix there with Jacksonville.

"No Jaguars player has ever received an MVP vote. One would be hard-pressed to think that won’t change emphatically in Lawrence’s burgeoning career," said NFL.com's Grant Gordon. "A lot changed in one year’s time for Lawrence and the Jags as they rose to AFC South champions in 2022. In 2023 -- if Lawrence, coming off a 25-touchdown, 4,000-yard Pro Bowl campaign -- continues to ascend, there’s no reason to believe he won’t be a regular in the MVP convo this year."

Lawrence is currently tied for the sixth-best odds according to BetMGM (+1400), trailing Cincinnati's Joe Burrow (+650), Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes (+650), Buffalo's Josh Allen (+750), Los Angeles' Justin Herbert (+900) and Philadelphia's Jalen Hurts (+1000). Deshaun Watson is tied for the 14th-best odds (+3000) with San Francisco's Brock Purdy and Seattle's Geno Smith.

CBS Sports mentioned the MVP race with Lawrence as well in ranking him the No. 7 QB in the league currently.

"Of the top 10 QBs here, Lawrence benefits most from projection," said CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin. "But if he went from overmatched and unsupported as a rookie to decisive and aggressive as a sophomore, the former No. 1 overall pick is now poised to sniff MVP territory under Doug Pederson and alongside new No. 1 wideout Calvin Ridley. Lawrence isn't afraid to put the ball in tight windows, which can get him in trouble, but he's got one of the zippiest arms in the league and showed veteran-level fight in his historic comeback of a playoff debut. Just 23, he's got both plenty of room to grow and all the physical traits of an elite pocket gunslinger."

The six listed ahead of him there are Mahomes, Burrow, Hurts, Allen, Herbert and NYJ's Aaron Rodgers.

Mahomes won the 2022 season's NFL MVP award with 48 of the 50 first-place votes (490 total points), with only Hurts and Allen garnering the other top votes. Hurts finished second in the MVP standings by points (193).

Rodgers earned the honor in the previous two seasons and Mahomes also was NFL MVP in 2018. Baltimore's Lamar Jackson won NFL MVP in 2019.