Brady Names Allen, Purdy, Goff And Gibbs As MVP Frontrunners
Tom Brady named four players he considers the leading contenders for the 2026 NFL Most Valuable Player award during FOX Sports' "Ask Tom" segment. The three-time MVP singled out Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen, San Francisco's Brock Purdy, Detroit's Jared Goff and Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs as the players shaping the race through the season's first half.
Brady won his three MVP honors with the New England Patriots before retiring and moving into broadcasting, where he now serves as FOX's lead game analyst. Allen sits atop the FanDuel odds board at +165, having thrown for 1,793 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions through seven games while adding 270 rushing yards and nine rushing scores. Brady praised Allen's dual-threat impact, noting his ability to beat defenses "throwing it in" and "running it in." betting on netball
Purdy, whose 49ers sit at 6-1, ranks third on the odds board at +500 after posting 1,748 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, four interceptions and a 110.1 passer rating. Goff, despite never finishing higher than fifth in MVP voting, has gone interception-free for seven games except for a single pick, compiling 1,964 yards and 15 touchdowns for a 110.0 rating - pace for roughly 4,770 yards this season. He carries the seventh-best odds at +2700. Gibbs, at +6000, leads the league in scrimmage yards with 1,058 and scrimmage touchdowns with 10, having rushed for 773 yards and eight touchdowns while adding 34 receptions for 285 yards and three more scores.
Gibbs' inclusion stands out given how rarely non-quarterbacks claim the award - Adrian Peterson in 2012 remains the last running back to win MVP. Brady highlighted Gibbs' workload, noting he accounts for roughly 92 percent of Detroit's rushing yardage and remains a threat to break off long gains on any given play. With Gibbs on pace for close to 1,880 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns, his case will depend on whether Detroit's offense continues producing at its current rate through the second half of the season.
