Jonathan Taylor favorite to win 2025 Offensive Player of the Year

Across BetMGM, DraftKings, ESPN Bet, and FanDuel the consensus is clear. Jonathan Taylor is the favorite to win the “Offensive MVP for non QBs” award. His top competition is fierce however, as Falcons Running Back Bijan Robinson is right behind him followed by Seahawks Wide Receiver Jaxon Smith Njigba in 3rd. NFC West weapons in Rams WR Puka Nacua and 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey round out the top 5 in the race to be the best offensive weapon in the NFL.

This is Taylor’s 2nd crack at the Offensive Player of the Year award, as his strongest prior campaign for the award fell just short as he lost to the receiving triple crown winner Cooper Kupp 35-10 in voting in 2021. Taylor recorded 2,171 Total Yards (1,811 Rushing) and 20 TDs (18 Rushing), but Kupp’s 2nd most Receiving Yards in a Season ever (1,947 yards) and 16 Touchdowns (Tied 16th All Time) in the 4th triple crown receiving season since 1970 was too historic. Taylor’s 2021 season ranked all time:

• 23rd in Rushing Yards
• Tied 15th in Rushing TDs
• 29th in Yards From Scrimmage
• Tied 23rd in Rushing + Receiving TDs

Still highly impressive with even better cumulative stats than Kupp, but the historic nature of Kupp’s season swung in his favor to 2021 voters.

Can Taylor bring home his first OPOY trophy of his career?

His current season pace could be his best season ever, especially when you consider that Taylor historically plays his best football in November to January and he is already doing this well in September and October.

• 115 Carries = 326 Carry Pace | 1st in 2025, Tied 126th All Time
• 603 Rushing Yards = 1,709 Rushing Yard Pace | 1st in 2025, Tied 34th All Time
• 7 Rushing TDs = 20 Rushing TD Pace | 1st in 2025, Tied 11th All Time
• 750 Yards From Scrimmage = 2,125 Yards From Scrimmage Pace | 3rd in 2025, 43rd All Time
• 8 Rushing + Receiving TDs = 23 Rushing + Receiving TD Pace | 1st in 2025, Tied 8th All Time
• 123 Fantasy Points = 350.5 Fantasy Point Pace | 1st in 2025, 10th All Time

An RB getting over 2100 Yards from Scrimmage and 23 TDs has happened just 7 times in NFL history, the last time occurring in LaDanian Tomlinson’s MVP season in 2006. With the MVP award being so QB focused it is unlikely the award goes to the non-QB who would normally win the Offensive Player of the Year Award… barring the 2025 QBs struggling to field a strong MVP candidate.

The other top contenders for the Offensive Player of the Year award certainly have strong cases too thus far. Bijan Robinson is on pace to break Chris Johnson’s Yards from Scrimmage Season Record after his first 5 games of the season. Jaxon Smith Njigba is on pace to break the Receiving Yard Season Record. Either record being broken could potentially convince...