Bye Drake Maye, Matthew Stafford And Jonathan Taylor dominated the league MVP discussions, former Saints Super Bowl winner and future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees mentioned another player who certainly deserves attention as well.
“There are a lot of guys playing outstanding football,” Brees said in a one-on-one interview with CBS Sports. “Drake May, he's made huge strides from last year…Stafford is playing great.
“I look at what Seattle Seahawks are doing right now. You know if [Jaxon Smith-Njigba] not an MVP candidate, he's definitely Offensive Player of the Year, right? I think they are good names.”
Now in his third season in Seattle, Smith-Njigba is enjoying a breakout season for the Seahawks, who are off to a surprise 7-2 start under second-year coach Mike McDonald. Smith-Njigba currently heads NFL with 1,041 receiving yards and ready for halftime. Calvin Johnson single season record – 1964.
While he certainly deserves attention, Smith-Njigba doesn't have a history of winning league MVP on his side. No receiver in league history has won the award, including Jerry Rice, who hasn't won since the strike-shortened 1987 season despite throwing 22 touchdowns in just 12 games. Instead, the award went to then-Broncos quarterback John Elway.
Perhaps coincidentally, the year Johnson set the single-catch record was also the last time a non-quarterback won the league MVP. In the 12 years since then, the Vikings have retreated Adrian Peterson won MVP, a defenseman wins this award every year.
Speaking of quarterbacks, Brees isn't suggesting that Stafford, who at 37 is having perhaps his best season to date, or that the 7-2 Rams are slowing down any time soon. Brees believes Stafford has a great opportunity to solidify his status as a future Hall of Famer.
“I think he's got some great years ahead of him,” Brees said of Stafford, who earlier this season became the ninth quarterback to throw 400 touchdown passes and the 10th to surpass 60,000 passing yards. “It’s really just a question of how long he wants to play. “He's in a position now where he has some really incredible talent around him, a great head coach in Sean McVay and a great system that suits his strengths.”
“He still has all the ability in the world,” Brees said. “I think between 35 and 40-42 is a really good opportunity for a quarterback. It's almost like entering the prime of life. Think about how much you understand and know mentally, and if you are still able to do it physically, then these could be some of your best years.”
Brees will be busy this fall. In addition to keeping a close eye on the NFL as an analyst, Brees teamed up with Abbott for their “We give bloodThe winning school, to be announced during the 2025 Discover the Big Ten Football Championship Game on Dec. 6, will receive $1 million from Abbott for student or community health care. There is also the possibility earn a Big Ten school shirt of your choice by donating blood.
“I think a lot of us maybe just don't realize the impact that donating blood can have on our community and just saving lives,” Brees said. “One blood donation can save up to three lives… In fact, we as a country are experiencing a blood shortage right now. This is kind of an unprecedented case, perhaps the worst in our entire lives, and so we encourage everyone to come out and donate blood.”
