NFL player poll: Bills' Josh Allen will win an MVP, Taylor Swift is good for the league
NFL pundits make their opinions known on a daily basis, but what do the players think of their peers and other storylines around the league?
A player poll was recently conducted by The Athletic and published Wednesday, covering a range of topics in the NFL on and off the field. For example, Green Bay, Wisconsin, home of Packers, was voted the least favorite place to travel to for a road game, while a trip to Los Angeles to face either the Rams or Chargers was voted the best place to go on the road.
NFL players also overwhelmingly agreed that the league was doing enough to educate them about the rules surrounding betting on games following several high-profile violations and suspensions, with 83.3% voting "yes" to the question. In a far closer decision, the majority of NFL players supported teams using public taxpayer funds to help build new stadiums, with 42.6% saying "yes", 35.6% saying "no" and 21. 8% undecided.
But the most noteworthy responses had to do with the most likely next NFL MVP winner, coveting star Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill on their team and, yes, the Taylor Swift effect.
Here are those results:
Next player to win first NFL MVP:
Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen, 17.6%
2024 stats: 814 passing yards, 106 rushing yards, seven passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns, zero interceptions, 116.5 passer rating, 69.3% completion percentage
Runners-up: Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow (15.8%), San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey (10.8%), Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud (7.8%) Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love (5.9%)
"I feel like he's due for one," one player who picked Allen told The Athletic. "I don't know when, but he's going to get one."
Is Taylor Swift's NFL presence been a positive for the league?
Yes: 72.5%
No: 4.9%
Neither: 22.5%
An overwhelming majority players voted that Swift's presence in the NFL has been positive, with one player saying that he thinks it's been a boost "for the league."
"I think that at the end of the day, it's a business and you need to get as many eyes on it as possible," the player told The Athletic. "And she brings a lot of eyes, so, you know, if that increases the salary cap, I don't think anybody's gonna be too mad about that one."
Swift started dating Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce last season, which dominated headlines on and off the field and has resulted in TV stations showing her when she's attending Chiefs games.
Most annoying player:
Philadelphia Eagles DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson, 20.9%
2024 stats: two passes defended, 29 combined tackles
Runners-up: Las Vegas Raiders DT Christian Wilkins (11.9%), Raiders DE Maxx Crosby (7.5%), Philadelphia Eagles DT Brandon Graham (6.0%)
Gardner-Johnson was named "biggest trash talker" by the player poll last year, and still won in decisive fashion this year even though the question was broadened.
Non-QB you'd take first to start your team:
Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill (14.6%)
2024 stats: 17 receptions for 217 yards and one touchdown
Runners-up: Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson (13.1%), Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett (11.2%), Dallas Cowboys LB/DE Micah Parsons (10.7%), Las Vegas Raiders DE Maxx Crosby (8.7%), Pittsburgh Steelers LB T.J. Watt (6.3%)
One player said he picked Hill because that is who he plays with in the EA Madden video game series.
Ultimate three-player flag football team:
1. Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill (24.1%)
2. Minnesota Vikings WR Justin Jefferson (14.9%)
T-3. Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (10.5%)
T-3. Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (10.5%)
One player also suggested reuniting former Green Bay Packers teammates Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams — a reunion that could happen soon on the New York Jets.
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