# The 21 Greatest NFL MVP Winners of All Time

> Quarterbacks own most of the trophy's history, yet a linebacker and a handful of 2,000-yard runners crashed the party.

*By YPB Team · Published October 28, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/the-21-greatest-nfl-mvp-winners-of-all-time*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Dan Marino** — score 1000/1000
   Dolphins quarterback who won the 1984 AP MVP with a then-record 48 touchdown passes.
2. **Peyton Manning** — score 999/1000
   Colts and Broncos quarterback who won the AP MVP a record five times.
3. **Kurt Warner** — score 930/1000
   Rams quarterback who went from grocery-store stocker to MVP in 1999 and 2001.
4. **Josh Allen** — score 658/1000
   Bills quarterback who won the 2024 AP MVP, the first Buffalo quarterback to take the award.
5. **Terrell Davis** — score 602/1000
   Broncos running back who won the 1998 AP MVP with 2,008 rushing yards.
6. **Joe Montana** — score 601/1000
   49ers quarterback who won back-to-back AP MVP awards in 1989 and 1990.
7. **Lamar Jackson** — score 538/1000
   Ravens quarterback who won the AP MVP in 2019, unanimously, and again in 2023.
8. **Brett Favre** — score 538/1000
   Packers quarterback who won three straight AP MVP awards from 1995 to 1997.
9. **Barry Sanders** — score 538/1000
   Lions running back who shared the 1997 AP MVP after a 2,053-yard season.
10. **Adrian Peterson** — score 538/1000
   Vikings running back who won the 2012 AP MVP with 2,097 rushing yards months after knee surgery.
11. **Tom Brady** — score 538/1000
   Seven-time Super Bowl champion who won the AP MVP in 2007, 2010 and 2017.
12. **John Elway** — score 384/1000
   Broncos quarterback who won the 1987 AP MVP.
13. **Steve Young** — score 384/1000
   49ers quarterback who won the AP MVP in 1992 and 1994.
14. **LaDainian Tomlinson** — score 384/1000
   Chargers running back whose 2006 MVP season set a record with 31 total touchdowns.
15. **Earl Campbell** — score 290/1000
   Oilers running back who won the 1979 AP MVP.
16. **Cam Newton** — score 290/1000
   Panthers quarterback who won the 2015 AP MVP.
17. **Aaron Rodgers** — score 290/1000
   Packers quarterback with four AP MVP awards, including back-to-back wins in 2020 and 2021.
18. **Jim Brown** — score 290/1000
   Browns fullback who won MVP honors in 1957, 1958 and 1965 before retiring at 29.
19. **Johnny Unitas** — score 179/1000
   Colts quarterback who defined the position in the late 1950s and 1960s, a multiple MVP winner.
20. **Patrick Mahomes** — score 179/1000
   Chiefs quarterback who won the AP MVP in 2018, his first season as a starter, and again in 2022.
21. **Emmitt Smith** — score 179/1000
   Cowboys running back and the NFL's career rushing leader, MVP in 1993.

Tags: football, players, nfl, mvp