In the time since the Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 15, 1967 -- also known as the dawn of the Super Bowl era -- the Philadelphia Eagles have advanced to the Super Bowl on five occasions and won two Lombardi Trophies.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have gone to the biggest of big games twice and hoisted a Lombardi Trophy in both instances.
Neither Super Bowl-winning franchise has ever had a player win AP NFL Most Valuable Player during the Super Bowl era, however. They join the New York Jets as the only franchises to have won a Super Bowl but never to have had a player voted MVP in the Lombardi Trophy era.
They're joined by the Lombardi-less Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints in that historical unfortunateness.
Perhaps 2026 will finally be the season in which one of these clubs has an MVP.
There are certainly some viable candidates, such as Jalen Hurts, Baker Mayfield and Trevor Lawrence, who's coming off a season in which he was an MVP finalist. All three were tabbed by NFL.com’s Dan Parr as NFL MVP dark horses, as a matter of fact.
Should MVP history be made in 2026 for one of these seven teams, here's a look at who could be each team's top MVP contender.
With a rookie head coach, a roster rife with holes and playing in arguably the NFL's top division after a three-win season, the Cardinals look to have an arduous 2026 ahead. The most glimmering hope resides with Love, the 2026 NFL Draft’s No. 3 overall pick. Love is a special talent. Hence his draft selection and record-setting contract. Special talent does special things. Only one rookie has ever won AP NFL MVP ... but it was a running back: Hall of Famer Jim Brown in 1957. No first-year player has claimed the accolade in the Super Bowl era. Considering Love is likely to share reps with Tyler Allgeier and James Conner, it's all the more unlikely. Just maybe, for once in this topsy, turvy world, Love will win out.
Considering Myles Garrett set a new single-season sack record last season and wasn't in the MVP conversation, a defender taking the NFL’s top individual honor is quite unlikely. However, the Texans' calling card is their defense and Houston’s top talent is Anderson. Should the Texans walk tall and become legitimate Super Bowl contenders, one has to believe Anderson will be a guiding force. Fresh off becoming the highest-paid pass rusher in the league (based on APY), Anderson is surely ascending heading into his age-25 season. An All-Pro for the first time in 2025, a Pro Bowler for the second time and the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year runner-up, Anderson has increased his sack numbers each year. Maybe he’s on track to become the first defensive player to win MVP since the great Lawrence Taylor in 1986. It’s hardly likely, but if any defender is to make history, why not arguably the best young pass rusher in the game?
The No. 1 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft looked the part in 2025, perhaps more so than he had in any of his previous four seasons. An MVP finalist who captained the Jaguars to an AFC South title, Lawrence’s first season with Liam Coen provided career highs in touchdown passes (29), QBR (58.3), rushing yards (359) and rushing scores (nine). Unfortunately for Lawrence, he’s never really stacked consecutive impressive seasons. If he -- and the Jaguars -- can continue to rise in the AFC ranks, Lawrence will be a legitimate MVP contender. Jacksonville’s 13-4 2025 regular season concluded with eight straight wins -- a run in which Lawrence threw for 19 touchdowns and just five interceptions, completing 62.7% of his passes for 251.1 yards per contest. He found his way in Year 1 with Coen. A full season of Lawrence being comfortable in the offense bodes well for a stellar 2026.
After Shough took over as the Saints' starter midway through his rookie campaign, New Orleans claimed five of its six season wins and seems to have found its quarterback of the future. Perhaps it’s found the franchise’s first AP NFL MVP, too. In nine starts, Shough posted 13 total touchdowns (10 passing; three rushing). Over the course of a full season with more experience in Kellen Moore’s system, Shough has offered up enough cause for optimism that he can make a major second-season leap. Recent MVP winners Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes each won their first MVP trophies in their second seasons. Who’s to say history can’t follow with an arsenal that now includes first-round rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, a healthy Ja'Lynn Polk and No. 1 receiver Chris Olave, along with dual threat free-agent running back Travis Etienne?
Though the Jets have never had an MVP in the Super Bowl era, they do have a Super Bowl MVP: Mr. Joe Willie Namath, who memorably took home Super Bowl III MVP. Some might tell you that Matt Snell, the late and great New York running back, should have garnered the accolade after rushing for 121 yards and the game’s only touchdown. So, while conventional wisdom tells you current Jets starting QB Geno Smith ’s prodigal-son-returning tale offers the best MVP chances, Hall is coming off his first 1,000-yard campaign and a large payday this offseason. While his rushing numbers rose in 2025, his 36 receptions were his lowest total since an injury-shortened rookie season. Hall is a versatile talent who seemed poised to enter the next-great-running-back conversation at the onset of his days in Gotham. Still only 25, there’s no reason to think he can’t still become one of the elite RBs if he puts it all together. And playing for the Jets could actually be an advantage. New York hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2010. And, although a running back hasn’t won MVP since Adrian Peterson in 2012, if the Jets return to the postseason with Hall leading the charge, he’ll surely get some consideration. We’re chasing history, after all.
Maligned as he often is during the Eagles' more turbulent times, Hurts has quarterbacked the franchise to two Super Bowls and led Philly to its second Lombardi Trophy, garnering Super Bowl LIX MVP honors to show for it. He’s a three-time Pro Bowler with a nose for the end zone on the ground and a stellar long ball when he’s clicking. However, the Eagles are coming off a disappointing 11-5 season in which they fell in the Wild Card Round and drama was more prevalent than offensive rhythm. With A.J. Brown traded to the New England Patriots and Sean Mannion arriving to take over as offensive coordinator, the pressure is on for Hurts and so too will be the opportunity to rise back into elite form. In six NFL seasons and 93 games, Hurts has thrown for 110 touchdowns and rushed for 63 while coming away with a 57-25 record as a starter. Expectations and scrutiny are always palpable for the Eagles, and Hurts will be under the spotlight perhaps more than ever in 2026. Perhaps it’s the perfect setting for him to make history as the Eagles' first Super Bowl-era MVP and the franchise’s first MVP overall since Norm Van Brocklin in 1960.
Before the Buccaneers shipwrecked down the stretch of an ill-fated 2025 voyage, Mayfield began the year terrifically, finding himself in the way-too-early MVP conversation. Unfortunately, injuries added up despite Mayfield never missing a game -- though he was rarely unlisted on the injury report. This is a pivotal season for Mayfield and the Bucs after losing their grip on the NFC South and falling short of the playoffs. If Mayfield reclaims the Pro Bowl form of his first two seasons with the Buccaneers and blossoms under new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, there’s no reason to believe he won’t be in contention to make history by winning an MVP, something even Tom Brady didn't do with Tampa Bay. In 2024, Mayfield chucked career bests of 41 touchdowns and 4,500 yards. Those are MVP numbers. He’s started 51 straight games with Tampa Bay. He’ll be there every game. If his "A" game follows him week in and week out, there’s little reason not to go far enough to peg him as a bona fide MVP candidate.
