Super Bowl MVP Odds 2026 | Sam Darnold and Drake Maye The Favorites

We now know the Seattle Seahawks are playing the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60, and the SB MVP market is live. Current Super Bowl MVP odds have Sam Darnold as the favorite over Drake Maye. From there, Jaxon Smith-Njigba is near the top of SB Most Valuable Player odds boards, as well.

Darnold and Maybe being among the favorites comes as no surprise, considering quarterbacks, more often than not, get the nod. Below is all the betting information you need when it comes to wagering on Super Bowl MVP.

Super Bowl MVP Odds

View updated Super Bowl MVP odds below. Find Super Bowl MVP odds for Sam Darnold, Drake Maye, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Stefon Diggs and more.

Odds via FanDuel as of Feb. 5

Super Bowl MVP Favorites

Here, we will look at the Super Bowl MVP favorites to win the award. The top sports betting sites are currently accepting bets for all of the players listed below, along with several others. Go here for current Super Bowl odds.

Sam Darnold

If Seattle wins Super Bowl LX, Darnold is the cleanest MVP path because quarterbacks usually get the award when they’re efficient, protect the ball, and finish drives. He can absolutely take it if he turns a couple of JSN/Kupp chunk plays into multiple touchdowns and closes the game with one signature answer drive in the fourth quarter.

Drake Maye

If the Patriots win, Maye will have the ball in his hands the most and will get credit for beating an NFC powerhouse on the biggest stage. His MVP case is straightforward: a poised, mistake-free game with a couple of big-time throws, plus any rushing production that swings leverage moments.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba

JSN has a real MVP lane because he’s the type of receiver who can post an undeniable box score in a Super Bowl if coverage tilts elsewhere or can’t match his separation all game. If he pops for something like double-digit catches, 120-plus yards, and multiple touchdowns or one game-breaking long score, voters will consider him even if the quarterback plays well.

Kenneth Walker III

Walker can win MVP if Seattle’s plan is to shorten the game, control tempo, and keep the opposing quarterback on the sideline, especially if he cashes in multiple red-zone carries. A two-touchdown night with 120-ish total yards and one backbreaking second-half run is exactly the script that steals MVP from a QB.

Rhamondre Stephenson

Stevenson’s MVP path is a Patriots win where New England leans on him to keep the pass rush honest and dominate time of possession with long, physical drives. If he finishes with 100-plus yards, a couple of scores, and a clutch fourth-quarter conversion that seals it, he’ll have a real case.

Stephon Diggs

Diggs can win MVP if he’s the matchup that decides the game, repeatedly beating man coverage on third down and turning high-leverage targets into explosive gains. A classic alpha-receiver Super Bowl line with 8 to 12 catches, 120-plus yards, and one or two touchdowns in a Patriots win is absolutely MVP-worthy.

Rashid Shaheed

Shaheed’s MVP route is the rare special-teams takeover: a kick or punt return touchdown plus a couple of impact offensive touches that flip field position and momentum. If he delivers the single biggest scoring swing in the game, voters will seriously consider him despite limited overall volume.

Demarcus Lawrence

Lawrence has a legitimate defensive MVP path if Seattle wins behind its defense and he becomes the face of the disruption up front. Multiple sacks plus a forced fumble that directly leads to points, especially with a splash strip-sack moment, puts him squarely in the conversation.

Cooper Kupp

Kupp can win MVP if the game comes down to situational football, where third downs and red-zone execution decide everything. If he consistently moves the chains, scores once or twice, and thrives while other weapons draw top attention, he’ll have the strongest “most valuable” argument.

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Super Bowl MVP History

Quarterbacks dominate the list of Super Bowl Most Valuable Player favorites per usual; although, two LBs (Malcolm Smith and Von Miller) and two WRs (Julian Edelman and Cooper Kupp) have accounted for four of the award recipients over the past 11 Super Bowls.

Tom Brady won three Super Bowl MVPs in that span and Patrick Mahomes became the youngest quarterback to win SB MVP following the 2020 game. Mahomes was +120 to win Super Bowl MVP just prior to kickoff of last year's Big Game.

The Super Bowl MVP debuted in the first SB, which featured the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs in January of 1967. The Packers cruised to a 35-10 victory and QB Bart Starr won the MVP with 250 yards, two TDs and a pick. The next year, Green Bay won another SB title with Starr again winning MVP thanks to a modest line of 202 yards and a TD.

That would set the precedent for the award, which as gone to QBs 33 out of 58 Super Bowls. The MVP has gone to seven running backs and seven wide receivers, and a defensive player has won 10 times.

Yet unlike the NFL regular season MVP award -- which has gone to QBs 32 times and RBs 20 times, with one defensive player (Harlon Hill, 1955) and one WR (Jerry Rice, 1987) winning the award -- sometimes the Super Bowl MVP can come out of nowhere.

In the past 20 years, Tampa Bay safety Dexter Jackson and Seattle linebacker Malcolm Smith stand out as the most unlikely SB MVPs, while LBs Von Miller and Ray Lewis have also won on the strength of great defensive performances. Green Bay’s Desmond Howard became the only kick returner to win SB MVP in 1997 after totaling 244 return yards and a TD.

Return TDs have become increasingly rare in today’s NFL and defensive battles are also few and far between due to rule changes. Even in a 13-3 slugfest in Super Bowl 53, WR Julian Edelman was named MVP with 10 receptions for 141 yards. Quarterbacks had won seven of the previous nine awards.

In Super Bowl V, Cowboys LB Chuck Howley was named MVP despite Dallas losing, 16-13, to the Colts. This marks the only time a player from the losing team has been named MVP, although Tom Brady came relatively close in 2018 when he threw for 505 yards and 3 TDs in a 41-33 loss to the Eagles.

Brady holds the record with five total Super Bowl MVPs, followed by Joe Montana (3), Patrick Mahomes (3), Terry Bradshaw (2), Eli Manning (2), and Bart Starr (2). The Cowboys have produced the most SB MVPs with 7, followed by the Steelers (6) and Patriots (6).

How is Super Bowl MVP Decided?

Voted on by a panel of 16 sportswriters, the Super Bowl MVP award has been given to the player who has the biggest impact on the outcome of football's biggest annual game. Since 2001, electronic fan voting has accounted for 20 percent of the vote, with the media panel accounting for 80 percent of the vote.

Previous Super Bowl MVP Winners

Super Bowl MVP FAQs