Five weeks of NFL action are complete, and several stars are emerging as potential candidates for the year-end NFL MVP Award. There's still plenty of football left this season, and it's hard to say what will happen. But let's look at the players currently leading the race for the league's top individual honor.
5. Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions
Goff almost made this list last week, and while a strong performance against a struggling Cardinals defense might not move the needle, his numbers so far are hard to deny. He was second in the NFL with 1,485 passing yards, tied for second with 12 passing touchdowns, and has thrown no interceptions.
4. Kenneth Walker III, HB, Kansas City Chiefs
Walker III drops a couple of spots this week, but only because the Chiefs have a bye week. Despite that, he's still second in the league in rushing
with 537 yards and four touchdowns. He is also leading all NFL running backs with 6.2 yards per carry this season.
3. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Smith-Njigba continues to impress, adding 102 receiving yards and a touchdown to his season stat line. He now leads the NFL in receiving yards (587) and receiving touchdowns (7) through five games. However, his MVP campaign could suffer a setback this week, as he is currently listed as questionable and might miss a game.
2. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills
Allen had another big performance this past week, passing for 210 yards and rushing for 121 yards while adding two touchdowns – one passing and one rushing. He now has 1,489 total offensive yards and leads the league with 15 total offensive touchdowns. The Bills' current position among the top teams in the AFC also bolsters his argument.
1. Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy has looked exceptional early in the season. He has 1,196 passing yards, leads the league with 13 passing touchdowns, and has added 128 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. He's also currently in the Top 10 in completion percentage. The 49ers are also one of just three teams in the NFL still undefeated, which helps his case for maintaining the top spot.
This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: 2026 NFL MVP Power Rankings entering Week 6
