Jefferson’s Rookie of the Year odds an ABSOLUTE joke
The NFL is a quarterback driven league. We all know that. Of the last thirteen Most Valuable Player awards, only one non-QB has been voted in as MVP. You need to look no further than the discrepancy in the amount and type of money quarterbacks make (ie guaranteed money).
Actually, the best example may be this seasons offensive rookie of the year “race”. Since the Bengals lost Joe Burrow to injury, the race has reportedly beeb wide open. Or so we thought.
I’ll let Adam Patrick of TheVikingAge.com explain:
“FanDuel’s most recent odds for Offensive Rookie of Year certainly have Jefferson as a top contender, but he’s still not at the top of the list.
Instead, Los Angeles Chargers first-year quarterback Justin Herbert is the current favorite to win the award at -450 with Jefferson coming in second with +450 odds. This basically means that FanDuel believes Herbert has about an 80 percent chance of being named this season’s Offensive Rookie of the Year while the chance for Minnesota’s young receiver is only around 18 percent.”
That’s the same Herbert who helms the offense for a 3-9 team. The same Herbert that has had a QB-rating of 43.7/75.5 and 86.3 in three of his last four outings. Throwing six touchdowns and four interceptions in the process. Sure, his season long ratio of 23:9, but that doesn’t mask the fact that he’s been mostly mediocre/bad the last couple weeks (which could be because opposing teams have tape/scouting reports on him now).
According to our friends over at Pro Football Focus? Herbert is the 23rd ranked QB on the season. TWENTY THIRD. And he’s a shoe-in to win OROY?
Compare that to this:
Or the fact that over his last four games, Jefferson has averaged a touchdown a game and nearly 7 catches a game (27 total) for over 100 yards a game (412 total).
He hasn’t just had a good four game run, or a good season. He’s having a historically elite rookie season. As you all are aware, this happened last week against the Jaguars.
But, no, the 23rd ranked rookie QB deserves it because … He’s the healthiest rookie QB in a disappointing rookie class? And because quarterbacks are the most important position?
Of course they are, but that doesn’t mean that someone who is kinda good sometimes at the most important position is better than someone who has been historically amazing at the second most important one.
It can’t. It shouldn’t. It isn’t just me saying this because I’m a Vikings fan. It’s me saying this because I’m a football fan and the quarterbacks already get the majority of the money, endorsements, protection from refs/the league, and yes the awards.
It’s hard to argue a lot of the time that elite quarterbacks aren’t the MVP. But this isn’t the same as it’s rookie of the year and Herbert is neither elite nor anywhere near the MVP discussion.
If the Vikings make the playoffs with Jefferson’s help they’ll be only the fourth team since the merger to dig their way out of a 1-5 start and land in the post-season. While Jefferson is part of that, he’s been so increasingly dominant that he deserves a lot of credit for the history-in-the-making run the Vikings are making.
Sound familiar?
Jefferson has helped himself and his team do things that are historically significant. Herbert? Again, kinda good sometimes but mostly blah. At least he’s (way) ahead of Tua.
