Why Jaguars QB Nick Foles is an underdog for the MVP next season

The Jacksonville Jaguars could have an underdog MVP candidate in Nick Foles for the 2019 NFL season.

The NFL MVP trophy by definition goes to the player who is most valuable to his team. Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles is an underdog to win the award next season. Here are some reasons why.

Previously, I made a claim that Nick Foles is a franchise quarterback, but now I will make an even bolder claim that Nick Foles is an underdog for MVP next season. There, it has been said so let’s take a second to process and open our minds to the possibility of that happening.

There has been a lot of talk during the Jaguars OTAs and minicamp about how this year the offense seems different. It appears more finely tuned, more in sync, and more lethal. Players on both sides of the ball said, when talking to the local media, that they have never seen the offense perform so well. These are all positives and reason for excitement.

The main reason for this difference is that Foles is under center and not Blake Bortles. With the addition of the former Philadelphia Eagles star, who finally has an offense to call his own, the Jaguars are once again playoff hopefuls. The lingering question still is how good can he be?

I believe he has the capability to become one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL next season – so good in fact, he can win regular season hardware.

The usual list of names for the MVP trophy seem like they are the same for every analyst. Patrick Mahomes is the most common name. Some say Russell Wilson others may say, Todd Gurley. No one is mentioning Foles, and that is fine. He isn’t the first name to come to mind when thinking of elite quarterbacks, but he does has the capability and most importantly the knowledge to be one. This coming season, he is going to be the most crucial part of this teams success.

When talking about Foles, one of his biggest advocates is head coach Doug Marrone. Marrone  stated to the Jaguars.com Senior writer John Oesher that Foles isn’t just done after his Super Bowl MVP and that he believes Foles has more to prove,

"“We really think his best days are ahead of him,” Marrone said. “He’s really played well of late and we’re excited to have him part of our team, Oehser wrote.”"

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Confidence is key, and a head coach has to be able to believe in his quarterback in order for an offense to truly flourish. Marrone went on to talk about Foles ability as a leader, and how valuable his leadership will be to the team stating,

"When you make moves like that at the quarterback position, it gives the team a chance You have someone that has the experience, someone that has leadership, someone that really has proven to some extent that he has done it on the big stage and can handle all that. With all our research … that’s one thing that he always had done well – to be able to handle pressure and a full plate. That’s one I think Nick will be challenged with and a challenge that he’ll easily accept."

This ability as a leader is exactly why Foles is a fantastic pick as an underdog MVP choice. With his former quarterback coach as his offensive coordinator, John DeFilippo, and the full confidence of Marrone, Foles will have an understanding of the offense and will have every opportunity to lead Jacksonville back to the playoffs and hopefully once again become a Super Bowl contender.

Foles also has the weapons around him. He has a young group of talented receivers, a running back with something to prove, and an offensive line that is good when all the starters are healthy. He may not be a popular choice, which means it will be something that will shock a lot of people.

Foles has the capability, and with the offense almost molded to his liking winning the MVP this coming season is a possibility.