The Green Bay Packers have existed continuously since 1921, and in the 100-plus-year history of the Packers, they have had a slew of MVP winners. Let’s take a look at the 10 Packers MVPs.
Green Bay Packers MVPs
Packers MVPs: 1961 – Paul Hornung
In the fifth year of the Associated Press voting for NFL MVP, a Packer won the team’s first award. In 12 games, Horning ran for 597 yards and eight touchdowns. He also kicked for the Packers, making 15 field goals and converting all 41 of his extra points. He led the NFL in scoring with 146 points. The Packers went 11-3 and won the 1961 NFL Championship over the New York Giants.
His 146 points were the second most in NFL history to that point, trailing his 176 points from the 1960 season. Even now, Hornung’s 146 points would often be enough to lead the NFL in scoring.
Hornung played 10 seasons, all with the Packers. He was a two-time All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler. He won four NFL championships and one Super Bowl. He was on the All-1960s team, and he made the Hall of Fame in 1986.
Packers MVPs: 1962 – Jim Taylor
Taylor holds the distinction of being the only player to out-rush Jim Brown in a season. Taylor romped to an NFL-leading 1,474 yards and 19 touchdowns. Like Hornung the year before, Taylor led the NFL in scoring with 114 points. His 19 rushing touchdowns stood as the NFL record until John Riggins ran for 24 touchdowns in 1983. The Packers went 13-1, and they once again beat the New York Giants for the NFL Championship.
While the NFL Championship had no bearing on the MVP, Taylor likely would have been the MVP of that game as well. He scored the only offensive touchdown in the game, and he ran for a game-leading 85 yards.
Taylor retired after 10 NFL seasons. He played with the Packers for nine seasons, running for 1,000 yards in five different seasons. In 1967, he played for the expansion New Orleans Saints. Taylor made five Pro Bowls and one All-Pro team. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1976. He won four NFL Championships and one Super Bowl with the Packers.
Packers MVPs: 1966 – Bart Starr
Starr had already been in the NFL for 10 years, but he had his top season in his age-32 season. He led the NFL in completion percentage, interception percentage, yards per attempt, and passer rating. He made his fourth and final Pro Bowl, and he was a first-team All-Pro for the only time in his career. Starr led the Packers to 11 of their 12 victories.
In classic Starr fashion, he was even better in the playoffs. En route to winning Super Bowl I, Starr threw six touchdowns and just one interception in two Packers wins. He had an exceptional 135.6 passer rating, and he won the first Super Bowl MVP Award.
Originally a 17th-round pick, Starr played 16 years – all with the Packers. He won five NFL Championships and two Super Bowls. He won the final nine playoff games he played in. Starr was on the All-1960s team, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977.
Packers MVPs: 1995 – Brett Favre
After a tumultuous first few seasons in Green Bay, Favre settled in nicely in 1995. In his age-26 season, Favre fired an NFL-leading 38 touchdowns. He also led the NFL with 4,413 passing yards. He made his first All-Pro team, and he also won NFL Offensive Player of the Year. He led the Packers to an 11-5 record, and they eventually made the NFC Championship Game.
Favre received 69 out of 88 NFL MVP votes, securing 78.4% of available votes. He led the NFL in touchdown percentage, and he had the highest passer rating of his Packers tenure. He also added a career-best three rushing touchdowns, bringing his total tally to 41 touchdowns.
Packers MVPs: 1996 – Brett Favre
Favre repeated as MVP with a remarkably similar campaign. He threw one more touchdown and the same number of interceptions. Favre had the best interception percentage of his Packers career, and his 39 passing touchdowns were the best in the NFL. He made the All-Pro team again, and he received 52 of 83 MVP votes, good for 55.9% of the vote.
Favre capped off his 1996 season with an excellent January. In three playoff games, Favre threw five touchdowns, ran for a sixth, and only threw one interception. He had a passer rating of 107 in all three games, helping the Packers win the franchise’s third Super Bowl.
Packers MVPs: 1997 – Brett Favre
Favre rounded out a trio of MVPs by leading the NFL in touchdowns and touchdown percentage once again. He led the Packers to a 13-3 season. He made the All-Pro team for the third and final time, and he finished third in Offensive Player of the Year voting. Favre helped the Packers to another Super Bowl appearance, but they lost to the Denver Broncos. Favre, to his credit, threw three touchdowns in the loss.
Favre shared the 1997 AP MVP Award with Detroit Lions running back Barry Sanders. Favre and Sanders received 18 votes of the total 48. Dating back to 1957, the MVP has been a tie just twice – in 1997 and 2003. Favre did not win another MVP, but he received votes in 2001, 2002, 2007, and 2009.
Favre played 20 NFL seasons – 16 with the Packers – making 11 Pro Bowls, three All-Pro teams, and winning one Super Bowl. He made the 1990s All-Decade team, and he was in the 2016 Hall of Fame class. He retired with the passing yards and passing touchdowns record. He is currently fourth in both stats.
Packers MVPs: 2011 – Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers had been a good quarterback leading into 2011. He made the Pro Bowl in 2009, and he led the Packers to a surprise Super Bowl victory in 2010. However, he unveiled perhaps the best season ever by a quarterback in 2011. He led the NFL in touchdown percentage and yards per attempt, setting the NFL record for passer rating with a massive 122.5 mark.
Despite Drew Brees throwing an extra touchdown and breaking the passing yards record, Rodgers received 48 of 50 MVP votes. Oddly enough, Brees won the Offensive Player of the Year Award over Rodgers, receiving 43 of 50 votes.
Packers MVPs: 2014 – Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers climbed the MVP summit once again in 2014. He fired 38 touchdowns and led the NFL in interception percentage. He posted a passer rating above 110.0 for the second time in his career, and he made his fourth Pro Bowl and second All-Pro team. Rodgers led the Packers to 12 wins, and they eventually made the NFC Title Game.
Rodgers beat out J.J. Watt to win the MVP, earning 31 of 50 votes. He finished second in Offensive Player of the Year voting, losing out to an excellent DeMarco Murray campaign with the Dallas Cowboys.
Packers MVPs: 2020 – Aaron Rodgers
As good as Rodgers was in 2011, he might have been slightly better in 2020. He led the NFL in completion percentage, passing touchdowns, touchdown percentage, interception percentage, adjusted yards per attempt, passer rating, and QBR. His 121.5 passer rating is second in NFL history, only short of his 2011 season. He received 44 of 50 votes for MVP.
Compared to his 2011 season, Rodgers was more efficient at throwing touchdowns, completing passes, and avoiding interceptions. The only “flaw” for the season was his yards per attempt being 1.0 yards lower. Rodgers led the Packers to 13 wins and the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Packers MVPs: 2021 – Aaron Rodgers
In a much less competitive MVP race, Rodgers won his fourth NFL MVP. He led the NFL in touchdown percentage, interception percentage, passer rating, and QBR. He led the Packers to 13 wins for the third consecutive season, earning the top seed in the conference again.
Rodgers earned 39 of 50 MVP votes, with 10 opting to take Tom Brady’s ridiculous counting stats over Rodgers’ efficiency. Rodgers moved up to third in NFL history for MVP award shares, racking up 3.28. Rodgers became just the second player (Peyton Manning) to win four or more MVPs.
Through 18 seasons, Rodgers has made 10 Pro Bowls, four All-Pro teams, and the All-2010s team. He will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he decides to retire. Rodgers is in the top 10 in NFL history in completions, touchdowns, passing yards, and passer rating.
Other Packers MVPs
Aside from the AP-voted award, there are four other MVP awards in NFL history. The Pro Football Writers Association (PFWA) has been around since 1975. Two Packers have won six PFWA MVPs with Favre winning in 1995 and 1996 and Rodgers winning in 2011, 2014, 2020, and 2021.
The first MVP award was the Joe F. Carr Trophy. Distributed from 1938 to 1946, the only Packer to win it was Don Hutson who won it in 1941 and 1942. He was the only player to win it twice.
United Press International (UPI) held MVP votes in 1948, 1951, and every year from 1953 to 1969. In 1970, they voted for one player in both conferences. They stopped voting in 1982. Hornung (1961) and Starr (1966) won UPI MVP Awards.
The Newspaper Enterprise Association voted on MVPs from 1955 to 2008. Three Packers combined to win four MVP awards with Taylor, Starr, and Favre (twice) winning.
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