List of Green Bay Packers to win a most valuable player award

Black and white photo of Hutson catching a football
Don Hutson won the first MVP award by a Green Bay Packer in 1941

The Green Bay Packers are an American football team in the National Football League (NFL). Founded in 1919 by Curly Lambeau and George Whitney Calhoun, the team entered the NFL prior to the 1921 season.[1][2] From 1938 to 1946, the NFL awarded the Joe F. Carr Trophy to the most valuable player (MVP) in the NFL, as decided by a panel of sportswriters.[3] Starting in the 1940s and 1950s, various news organizations began handing out their own MVP awards, often based on the opinions or voting of their sportswriters. In 1948, United Press International (UPI) awarded their first MVP award: the UPI NFL Most Valuable Player Award.[4] In 1954, Sporting News began awarding its NFL Player of the Year Award and the next year the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) awarded their first MVP award, known as the Jim Thorpe Trophy.[5][6] Three years later, the Associated Press (AP) awarded their first NFL Most Valuable Player Award, in 1957.[7] Lastly, the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) gave out the NFL Most Valuable Player Award for the first time in 1966, although they did not name another MVP until 1975.[8] The AP and PFWA have named MVPs each season since 1957 and 1975, respectively.[7][8] Sporting News named an MVP every year from 1954 to 1969, and then from 1980 to 2007.[5] UPI stopped awarding their MVP award in 1969 and the last Jim Thorpe Trophy was awarded in 2008.[4][6]

Since 1941, six players for the Packers have won at least one of the aforementioned MVP awards, with 29 MVP awards going to these players.[9][10] Don Hutson, who played wide receiver for the Packers in the 1930s and 1940s, won back-to-back Joe F. Carr Trophies during the 1941 and 1942 NFL seasons.[11] Both seasons Hutson achieved the triple crown for receivers: he led the NFL in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.[12][13] In addition to his role on offensive, Hutson also recorded eight interceptions spanning both of his MVP seasons and was the team's placekicker.[14] In 1961, Paul Hornung won his first and only MVP awards from the AP and the UPI after leading the NFL in points scored.[4][7][15] In addition to his scoring record, Hornung rushed for 597 yards, had 145 receiving yards, completed three passes and kicked 15 field goals.[16] The next season, Hornung's teammate Jim Taylor won four different MVP awards from the AP, Sporting News, the NEA (the Jim Thorpe Trophy) and the PFWA.[4][6][7][8] Taylor, similar to Hutson as a wide receiver, won the rushing triple crown; he led the league in rushing attempts, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in 1962.[17] Four years later, Bart Starr, the Packers' quarterback, won all five MVP awards that were awarded in the 1966 NFL season (AP, UPI, Sporting News, the NEA and the PFWA).[4][5][6][7][8] Starr led the NFL in a number of efficiency statistics, including completion percentage and quarterback rating.[18] All three MVP awardees during the 1960s played under head coach Vince Lombardi;[19] the Packers won the NFL Championship in all three seasons where they had an MVP awardee (1961, 1962 and 1966), which included the first Super Bowl.[20]

The Packers during the 1970 and 1980s were unsuccessful on the playing field, with the team only going to the playoffs once each decade.[21] However, in the 1990s the team traded for quarterback Brett Favre, who led the team back to perennial playoff contention.[22] Starting in 1995, Favre won three consecutive AP MVP awards, becoming the first player to do so.[23] He also won the MVP awards from PFWA, Sporting News in 1995 and 1996, while also winning three straight Jim Thorpe Trophies from 1995 to 1997.[5][6][8] During the 1996 season, Favre led the Packers to their first NFL Championship since 1967 with a victory in Super Bowl XXXI.[22] From 1995 to 1997, Favre led the NFL in passing touchdowns and was near the top in most passing statistical categories.[24][25][26] The 1997 award from the AP was unique, as Favre and Barry Sanders shared the award, only the second time this had occurred.[6][27] Sanders had just completed the season with over 2,000 rushing yards, becoming only the third person to do in one season, and had statistically one of the best seasons ever by a running back.[28] Favre led the Packers to a second consecutive Super Bowl appearance that season, losing to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXII.[29] In 2007, Favre was traded to the New York Jets and his back-up quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, took over.[30] Rodgers won his first AP and Sporting News MVP awards in 2011, after guiding the Packers to a 15–1 regular season record while leading the NFL in most quarterback efficiency statistics, including setting the record for the highest quarterback rating in a season at 122.5.[5][7][31][32] Rodgers went on to win the AP and Sporting News MVP awards three more seasons, in 2014, 2020, and 2021.[5][7] Each season, Rodgers guided the Packers to the playoffs and led the NFL in various passing statistical categories, including posting a quarterback rating of 121.5 in 2020, just one point short of his NFL record from 2011.[21][31][33][34][35] Rodgers' four total AP MVP awards are the second most behind the five awards by Peyton Manning and his four total PFWA MVP awards are tied with Manning for the most.[5][7] All of the awardees have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, except Rodgers;[36][37] Hutson, Starr and Favre have also had their uniform number retired by the Packers.[38]

In addition to MVP awards for the entire season, the NFL also awards an MVP for each Super Bowl. Three Packers players have won a Super Bowl MVP award: Starr twice in the first two Super Bowls (I and II), Desmond Howard in Super Bowl XXXI and Rodgers in Super Bowl XLV.[39] The awardee is selected near the end of the game by electronic fan voting, which makes up 20% of the vote tally, while the remaining 80% is chosen by a panel of sportswriters selected by the NFL.[40] Prior to 1990, the award was sponsored by Sport magazine, who gave away a new car to the winner.[41] After the 1990 season with Super Bowl XXV, the NFL awarded the Super Bowl MVP with the Pete Rozelle Trophy, named after the former commissioner of the NFL of the same name.[40] Starr and Rodgers were given the award based on their exceptional passing during their respective Super Bowls.[41][42][43] However, Howard became the first special teams player to win the Super Bowl MVP. Despite quarterback Brett Favre throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for another during Super Bowl XXXI, Howard was given the MVP after setting then-records for the longest kick-off return (a 99-yard kick-off return for a touchdown) and most total return yards (244) in a Super Bowl.[44][45]

Awardees

Legend
 *  Inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
 #  Number retired by the Green Bay Packers

Season MVPs

Green Bay Packers players who won a season MVP award
Image Player Position Years with Packers MVP Award Refs
Joe F. Carr Trophy[11] AP[7] UPI[4] Jim Thorpe Trophy (NEA)[6] Sporting News[5] PFWA[8]
Don Hutson * # Wide receiver 1935–45 1941 (1) — — — — — [46]
1942 (2)
Paul Hornung * Halfback 1957–62, 1964–66 — 1961 (1) 1961 (1) — — — [47]
Jim Taylor * Fullback 1958–66 — 1962 (1) — 1962 (1) — — [48]
Bart Starr * # Quarterback 1956–71 — 1966 (1) 1966 (1) 1966 (1) 1966 (1) 1966 (1) [49]
Brett Favre * # Quarterback 1992–2007 — 1995 (1) — 1995 (1) 1995 (1) 1995 (1) [50]
1996 (2) — 1996 (2) 1996 (2) 1996 (2)
1997 (3) [a] — — — —
Aaron Rodgers Quarterback 2005–22 — 2011 (1) — — — 2011 (1) [51]
2014 (2) 2014 (2)
2020 (3) 2020 (3)
2021 (4) 2021 (4)

Super Bowl MVPs

Green Bay Packers players who won a Super Bowl MVP award
Image Player Position Years with the Packers Super Bowl (Season)[39] Refs
Bart Starr * # Quarterback 1956–71 Super Bowl I (1966) (1) [49]
Super Bowl II (1967) (2)
Desmond Howard Returner 1996 Super Bowl XXXI (1996) [52]
Aaron Rodgers Quarterback 2005–22 Super Bowl XLV (2010) [51]

Notes

  1. ^ Award was shared with Barry Sanders, running back for the Detroit Lions[27]

References

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  28. ^ DeArdo, Bryan (May 20, 2023). "Jim Brown dies at 87: Ranking 10 greatest RB seasons in NFL history, with Brown's 1963 campaign near the top". CBSSports.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
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  42. ^ Marshall, Tom (January 16, 1967). "Bart, Packers Hit in Clutch". The Kansas City Star (clipping). p. 13. Archived from the original on December 21, 2023. Retrieved December 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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  45. ^ Silverstein, Tom (January 26, 1997). "MVP: Many happy returns for Packers' Howard". Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
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