After Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford won his first MVP award last season, could we see another player win the award for the first time in their career?
There are certainly some intriguing players who are candidates to win their first MVP in the 2026 NFL season. The First Things First crew sees it too, with four of the five panelists picking a player to win their first MVP this season.
So let’s take a look at who has won the MVP, as three of them even chose the same player to win the award.
Nick Wright’s MVP Prediction:
Patrick Mahomes returns to the field after suffering a torn ACL in Week 15. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Nick Wright continued his theme of the Kansas City Chiefs’ remarkable comeback in 20026 and labeled quarterback Patrick Mahomes as his MVP pick.
“He was the favorite to win this award midway through last season. I don’t think the ACL coming off is going to stop him from throwing the ball. I think it’s going to limit how much he runs the ball,” Wright said.
Mahomes’ 2025 season ended early when he suffered a torn ACL in Week 15. However, with a new running back in Kenneth Walker III and tight end Travis Kelce returning, Mahomes enters the season with a talented supporting cast.
Chris Broussard’s MVP Prediction:
Broussard started the Dak Prescott MVP trend, noting that his numbers are a massive factor in this year’s MVP.
“The last four years that he’s played 16 or 17 games, he’s thrown for 4,500 yards and 30 or more touchdowns,” Broussard said. “I think Dak is going to have big numbers this year, and I definitely think they’re going to win the division.”
The Cowboys finished the first year under coach Brian Schottenheimer 7-9-1 and second in the NFC East. Prescott finished the season with 4,552 yards, 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.
Greg Jennings MVP Prediction:
Can Dak Prescott win his first NFL MVP award? (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
While Jennings chose Prescott as his MVP prediction, he provided another perspective that makes Prescott a worthy candidate.
“If you’re going to win MVP and you had a good season last year, you have to have areas where you can improve. The Dallas Cowboys have areas where they improve, and Dak is a part of that,” Jennings said. “Dak Prescott has to be who they expect him to be in order for this team to take that next step. I believe he can do that.”
Even if Prescott had an impressive year on paper, making improvements this season will be a big factor in the Cowboys’ 2026 campaign.
Kevin Wildes MVP Prediction:
Once again, Wildes picked the Cowboys quarterback to win this year’s MVP.
Wildes’ argument for Prescott stemmed from his ability to put up points as well as having strong numbers on paper.
“He led the league in completions. He threw the ball 600 times last year. The little sprinkle that I like, which is a benefit of Matthew Stafford, is that their defense was so bad, (they) were able to put up points,” Wildes said.
Danny Parkins MVP Prediction:
Caleb Williams enters his third year in the NFL and second year under Ben Johnson. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Parkins named Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams as his MVP winner for the upcoming season. After finishing the 2025 campaign as the Bears’ all-time sack leader, Parkins believes his second year in head coach Ben Johnson’s system will be key.
“Their offense is great,” Parkins said. “We always talk about great quarterback talent in a great offensive system in Year 2. It’s Year 3 for Caleb Williams and Year 2 in Ben Johnson’s system. It’s a young offense with very talented players at every level. … I think they’re going to score a lot.”
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