Major change made to NFL MVP voting

The Associated Press is changing the way it votes for NFL annual awards.

For decades, the NFL MVP was awarded with a very simplistic “Pick one player and that’s it” method. Starting this season, there will be ranked choice voting akin to what’s done in the NBA. Let the AP explain:

Voters will rank their top five picks for MVP and top three picks for other awards. They will also rank their choices for first and second team All-Pro – the best players at each position. This process will more seamlessly allow for AP to name second and third-place finishers.

This season AP will again name Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Rookie of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, Assistant Coach of the Year, Coach of the Year and Most Valuable Player.

While the AP never said a points system would be used, here’s an example of how the NBA handles MVP voting and other awards with a compiled points system.

I suspect this is now the AP’s new voting system will work. You can still have a unanimous MVP in terms of first-place votes, but now we’ll have a little more detail on a voting panel’s top-five choices. That certainly would’ve been helpful for many players over the years who had MVP-caliber seasons but none of the recognition.

Yes, I’m talking about Russell Wilson in 2015 and 2019. I won’t just leave that ball on a tee for you to whack in the comments.

The NFL Honors awards show airs on February 9th, 2023.