Chiefs QB Mahomes takes home MVP award
Patrick Mahomes dominated the voting for the AP NFL Most Valuable Player award. Now, he'll try to break the MVP curse.
Mahomes, who also won in 2018, easily outdistanced Jalen Hurts, receiving 48 of 50 first-place votes from a nationwide panel of media members who regularly cover the league. He earned 490 points to 193 for Hurts, who got one firstplace vote, 26 seconds, 11 thirds and 10 fourths.
Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs (16-3) face Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles (16-3) in the Super Bowl on Sunday.
The last nine MVPs to play in the Super Bowl that season are 0-9. Kurt Warner was the last to win both the MVP award and Super Bowl following the 1999 season.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen received the other first-place vote, finishing third with 151 points. Bengals QB Joe Burrow placed fourth and Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson came in fifth.
The 27-year-old Mahomes is the third player to win his second MVP before turning 28, joining Brett Favre (27) and Jim Brown (22).
Mahomes was the 2018 NFL MVP in his first full season as a starter.
Other awards announced Thursday:
• In the second-closest race Thursday, Brian Daboll won AP Coach of the Year after leading the New York Giants to their first playoff appearance in six years. Daboll received 16 first-place votes and 123 total points to outpace 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who got 12 votes for first and 100 points. Jaguars coach Doug Pederson finished third with 75 points, including five first-place votes.
• DeMeco Ryans, who spent the past two seasons as the defensive coordinator of the 49ers, was named AP Assistant Coach of the Year. He is now the head coach of the Texans.
• Nick Bosa made it a landslide for the AP Defensive Player of the Year award. San Francisco's All-Pro defensive end received 46 first-place votes after leading the NFL with 18 ½ sacks in the regular season.
• Jets cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner won the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Gardner, the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, started every game for the Jets. He had two interceptions and allowed just 33 catches on 73 targets.
• Jets receiver Garrett Wilson edged out Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker for the AP Offensive Rookie of the year award.
• Justin Jefferson ran away with the AP Offensive Player of the Year award. Minnesota's All-Pro wide receiver got 35 first-place votes and earned 192 points, outdistancing runner up Mahomes by a significant margin.
• Geno Smith, who earned his first Pro Bowl berth after becoming a full-time starter for the first time since 2014, is the AP Comeback Player of the Year. The Seattle Seahawks quarterback threw for 4,282 yards, 30 TDs and led Seattle to an NFC wild-card berth. THOMAS, REVIS LEAD HALL OF FAME CLASS >> Six-time All-Pro offensive lineman Joe Thomas and lockdown cornerback Darrelle Revis got voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on their first try. Thomas and Revis join a new class of Hall of Famers announced Thursday that also includes return finalists DeMarcus Ware, Zach Thomas and Ronde Barber. Senior candidates Joe Klecko, Chuck Howley and Ken Riley, along with coaching candidate Don Coryell, also got voted into the Hall and will be inducted in Canton, Ohio, this summer.
SUIT: NFL RUNS `SHAM' DISABILITY PROGRAM >> Ten retired NFL players are accusing the league of lies, bad faith and flagrant violations of federal law in denying disability benefits in a potential class-action lawsuit filed Thursday in Baltimore.
The men said they left the game with lingering physical or cognitive injuries that make their daily lives difficult if not excruciating. They also said they are not alone.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Baltimore, and names as defendants both NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the NFL's Disability Board. The suit comes as league officials gather in Phoenix for the Super Bowl on Sunday.
The NFL did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the NFL Players Association.