The NFL Most Valuable Player race is tight heading into Week 17 and the main candidates for the award include Cam Newton, Carson Palmer, Tom Brady and Russell Wilson in the final week of the season.
The loss last week by the Panthers opened things up a bit in the race, as Cam Newton has been leading for most of the season with Carolina undefeated. Carson Palmer and Tom Brady have both put up MVP numbers this season and with the Cardinals and Patriots looking like strong Super Bowl favorites, they could get some consideration for the award.
Russell Wilson had a great run over the past month to put himself in the race, but it's unlikely he will be in the top three over Brady, Newton and Palmer. Here is a look at the MVP candidates heading into Week 17:
Cam Newton, Panthers
Newton has been leading the race for most of the season with the Panthers undefeated and if the team clinches the number one seed in the NFC, there is a good chance he will win. Newton has put up some great numbers and has been able to lead his team to a 14-1 record while dealing with some injuries on offense. Newton has 33 touchdowns this season and 10 interceptions and he has also added eight touchdowns rushing the ball. Newton has been impressive and how he has led his team through the season could give him the award.
Tom Brady, Patriots
Brady is always in the mix for MVP and this year he showed why, as the Patriots have dealt with a number of major injuries on offense. The team has had players like Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, Rob Gronkowski, Dion Lewis and LeGarrette Blount miss various amounts of time through the season, but Brady still has his team in position to be the number one seed in the AFC. Brady's numbers have been some of his best with the QB passing for 4636 yards, 36 touchdowns and seven interceptions in 15 games this season.
Carson Palmer, Cardinals
Palmer came back from a major injury last season and has had the best overall season of his career and also has his team in position to be the top seed in the conference. The Cardinals are locked in for a first round bye and Palmer has also dealt with injuries on offense, with Chris Johnson, Andre Ellington and John Brown all missing time at points this season. Palmer has thrown for 34 TDs and 10 picks this season with 4542 yards while completing 64 percent of his passes.
Russell Wilson, Seahawks
Wilson doesn't have a chance to win the award over the three players listed above, but he deserves consideration for how he has played this season. The Seahawks have dealt with injuries to Marshawn Lynch and that has put more pressure on Wilson at the QB position. Wilson had an amazing run over the last month, going a stretch of five games with 19 touchdowns and zero interceptions for the Seahawks.
