The NFL MVP Award is the ultimate individual honor that players chase every season. While running backs, defensive players, and even a kicker have taken home the MVP in the past, these days, it’s mostly a quarterback’s prize.
The Associated Press started recognizing the NFL’s best player back in 1957, and the award we know today as the AP Most Valuable Player Award has been around since 1961. We’ve got the rundown of players with the most MVP wins in NFL history, counting every award handed out since 1957. Only two players have snagged four or more MVP trophies. Despite winning seven Super Bowls, Tom Brady isn’t one of them. So, who tops the list?
Here’s a Look At The Players Who Have Won The Most NFL MVP Award
5) Jim Brown -3 MVP Awards
Jim Brown, a legendary running back for the Cleveland Browns, won the NFL MVP award in 1957, 1958, and 1965. Throughout his nine-season career, he led the league in total rushing yards and rushing yards per game eight times. Brown’s dominance helped the Browns secure a championship in 1964, and he remains the only non-quarterback to win multiple MVPs.
Since his retirement, Brian Sipe was the only other Browns player to win MVP in 1980. Brown’s remarkable football career earned him a Pro Football Hall of Fame induction in 1971 and a College Football Hall of Fame honor in 1995. He also entered the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1983.
He and Earl Campbell are the only players to win NFL Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same year. Brown averaged 104.3 yards per game and 5.2 yards per carry across his career, unmatched by any other player.
He was ranked fourth on ESPN’s SportsCentury list of the 50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century 1999. The NFL Network ranked him the second-greatest player in NFL history in 2010. ESPN named him the most outstanding college football player in 2020.
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4) Brett Favre- 3 MVP Awards
Brett Favre, a Packers legend, won three consecutive NFL MVP awards from 1995 to 1997, a remarkable achievement. He was the MVP in 1995 and 1996 and shared the 1997 award with Hall of Famer Barry Sanders. Favre’s 1996 MVP season included his only Super Bowl win, where he led the Packers to victory over the Patriots.
In 1995, Favre threw for a career-high 4,413 yards and 38 touchdowns, leading the Packers to an 11–5 record. The Packers reached the NFC Championship Game that season, their deepest playoff run since winning Super Bowl II in 1967.
Favre won his second MVP award in 1996, throwing 39 touchdown passes and leading the Packers to a 13–3 record. Favre threw two touchdown passes in Super Bowl XXXI and rushed for another, defeating the Patriots 35-21.
In 1997, Favre earned a third straight MVP award, sharing it with Sanders, as the Packers returned to the Super Bowl. Despite being favored, the Packers lost Super Bowl XXXII to the Denver Broncos, marking Favre’s final Super Bowl appearance. Favre continued playing for another decade.
3) Tom Brady- 3 MVP Awards
After defeating Green Bay, Tom Brady and the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl, marking the quarterback’s record seventh title in 2020. The following year, Brady was Rodgers’ closest competitor for MVP, leading the odds for much of the season. Brady retired with three NFL MVP trophies, a remarkable achievement in his legendary career.
His first MVP came in 2007 when the Patriots achieved their famous 16-0 season, boosted by Randy Moss’s stellar performance. Brady posted 4,806 passing yards, 50 touchdowns, and a 117.2 passer rating that year, but a surprising loss to Eli Manning and the Giants ruined their perfect season in Super Bowl XLII.
Brady’s second MVP award came in 2010, when he scored 36 touchdowns and just four interceptions, leading the Patriots to a 14-2 record. His final MVP win came in 2017 when he led all quarterbacks with 4,577 passing yards and beat Todd Gurley in voting.
While Brady might feel disappointed to have only three NFL MVP awards, his seven Super Bowl wins and five Super Bowl MVPs are more than enough consolation. His career remains one of the most accomplished in NFL history.
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2) Aaron Rodgers- 4 MVP Awards
Like Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers has talent that isn’t fully reflected in his single Super Bowl championship. However, Rodgers has won four NFL MVP awards, placing him second behind Manning. Before winning his first MVP award, Rodgers had already secured a Super Bowl win and was named Super Bowl MVP. He led the Green Bay Packers to victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2010 season and won his first MVP in 2011.
In 2011, Rodgers led the Packers to a 15-1 record, throwing for 4,643 yards and averaging 9.2 yards per attempt. His 122.5 passer rating that season remains the best in NFL history. Rodgers won his second MVP in 2014 with 38 touchdowns and just five interceptions, edging out J.J. Watt, who had 20.5 sacks.
As Rodgers’ age increased and his performance seemed to dip, the Packers drafted Jordan Love in 2020. That move reignited Rodgers, leading to back-to-back MVP wins in 2020 and 2021. During those two seasons, Rodgers threw for 8,414 yards with 85 touchdowns and only nine interceptions.
Despite the Packers achieving three consecutive 13-3 seasons from 2019 to 2021, they failed to win another title. Frustrating losses in the NFC Championship to the 49ers and Buccaneers eventually led Rodgers to leave for the New York Jets.
1) Peyton Manning- 5 MVP Awards
Peyton Manning holds the record for the most NFL MVP Awards, winning five times, more than any other player. While Manning’s two Super Bowl victories fall short of Tom Brady’s seven, only Aaron Rodgers has come close to threatening his MVP record. Manning claimed the MVP back-to-back in 2003 and 2004, then repeated the feat in 2008 and 2009. He secured four MVPs with the Colts before adding a fifth during a record-breaking 2013 season with the Broncos.
Interestingly, neither of Manning’s Super Bowl wins came in an MVP year. In 2009 and 2013, Manning reached the Super Bowl but lost to the Saints and Seahawks. Manning shared the 2003 MVP award with Steve McNair after both led their teams to 12-4 records. In 2004, Manning earned 47 of the 48 votes cast, achieving career highs in yards per attempt (9.2) and passer rating (121.1).
By the 2008 MVP season, Manning had already won a Super Bowl against the Bears to cap the 2006 season. Manning’s second MVP double saw the Colts reach 14-2 in 2009, but they fell to the Saints in the Super Bowl. Manning’s best statistical season came in 2013 with the Broncos, setting records for passing yards (5,477) and touchdowns (55). Despite this, the Broncos suffered a crushing Super Bowl defeat to the Seahawks. Manning eventually retired as a two-time Super Bowl champion and the only five-time MVP winner.
