One of the 50 NFL MVP voters from the Associated Press won’t be casting a vote for Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the overwhelming favorite to win the award entering Week 18.
Hub Arkush, who is based in Chicago, went on 670 The Score on Tuesday and revealed he won’t be voting for Rodgers as the NFL MVP because the Packers quarterback is the “biggest jerk in the league” and he carried himself in an “inappropriate” fashion off the field and during the offseason.
Arkush also said he’s not the only MVP voter that won’t vote for Rodgers.
Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk transcribed most of Arkush’s comments from Tuesday here.
Of course, Arkush didn’t mention that Rodgers leads the NFL in touchdown-to-interception ratio, touchdown percentage, interception percentage, passer rating and QBR, and the Packers are an NFL-best 13-3 – including 13-2 in starts by Rodgers – and going into Week 18 with the No. 1 seed in the NFC locked up.
By almost any analytical measure, Rodgers is the most valuable player in the NFL this season.
This all looks like a sad but predictable end result of what has happened off the football field since April. Sure, the offseason drama was a lot, and Rodgers hurt his team in November by being unvaccinated and missing a start. But his value on the field is undeniable, and he’s led the Packers to another terrific season by being the NFL’s best quarterback.
One of the best arguments for Rodgers being the MVP is the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs that he missed. The Packers scored only seven points and lost without him. In the season opener, Rodgers played his worst game of the season, tossed two of his four interceptions and the Packers were blown out. The only other loss on the team’s schedule was a shootout in Minnesota where he threw four touchdown passes and had a season-high 385 passing yards.
Voters should be weighing the performance of individual players and their value to their team, not judging personal or off-the-field decisions made by players.
Here’s the bottom line: Some voters aren’t going to cast a vote for Rodgers for reasons that simply don’t fit the definition of “most valuable player.” It’s their right as voters. But it doesn’t make it any less wrong.