Tom Brady earned three NFL Most Valuable Player awards with the New England Patriots.
That gives him more than enough credence to assess the candidates for that award now that he’s retired from the league and is an NFL broadcaster. So when posed with the question on FOX Sports’ “Ask Tom,” Brady shared a few candidates for the 2026 MVP.
Most of Brady’s candidates aren’t surprises. However, he’s throwing a running back into the MVP race through the first half of the season, as a non-quarterback hasn’t won the award since 2012.
Here are Brady’s top four MVP candidates, and their odds to win the award, according to FanDuel.
Josh Allen’s 20 total touchdowns are tied for the second-most in the league. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Brady: “Josh Allen is playing great football. And that quarterback position we know impacts Josh is throwing it in, running it in. He’s doing a great job.”
Stats: 1,793 passing yards, 11 touchdown passes, five interceptions, 101.1 passer rating; 270 rushing yards, nine touchdown runs (through seven games).
Odds: At +165, Allen is the clear MVP favorite. So, it’s no surprise Brady listed him first.
Brock Purdy’s 110.1 passer rating is third in the league. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Brady: “The 6-1 49ers — I don’t think they would be in that position without Brock’s steady, dependable, consistent play. He’s done so many great things.”
Stats: 1,748 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, four interceptions and a 110.1 passer rating (through seven games).
Odds: Purdy is third on the odds board at +500, proving his week-in, week-out leadership in San Francisco is being recognized by more than just Brady.
Jared Goff didn’t throw an interception in the first seven games as he holds a 15-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Brady: “Jared Goff. I’ve covered him now in back-to-back weeks. Total command of the offense. Doing such a great job distributing the ball, deep to Jameson Williams, to Amon-Ra [St. Brown]. He’s got it all going.”
Stats: 1,964 passing yards, 15 touchdown passes, one interception and a 110.0 passer rating (through seven games).
Odds: At +2700, Goff holds the seventh-best odds. Goff has never finished higher than five in MVP voting, but this season, he’s on track for a career-high 4,770 passing yards.
Jahmyr Gibbs leads the league in scrimmage yards (1,058) and scrimmage touchdowns (10). (Photo by Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
Brady: “Jahmyr Gibbs. 150-plus yards last week against the Vikings defense. He takes up like 92% of the rushing yards for Detroit. He’s a threat to go the distance on any play.”
Stats: 773 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns; 34 catches, 285 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns (through seven games).
Odds: Gibbs is at +6000, which is the 10th-best odds. It’s an impressive place to be given how hard it is for running backs to win MVP. The last to do it was Adrian Peterson in 2012. Gibbs is on track for 1,880 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns.
Tom Brady’s Week 8 NFL Power Rankings
