The National Football League (NFL) has a major problem on their hands in regards to the legitimacy of their end of the season awards. More specifically, the award for Most Valuable Player (MVP).

Year after year we see quarterback after quarterback given the title of most valuable player for that year. There has not been an MVP in the NFL in a position other than quarterback since 2012, and there has only been one other player in a different position than quarterback given the award since 2007. That is 13 out of the last 14 years that a quarterback has won the NFL’s MVP award and personally I believe that the award has strictly become one for those of the position.

It is a complete disrespect to players in the NFL who have arguably been more valuable than some of these quarterbacks not only getting snubbed for the award, but snubbed to even make the finalists list. Now let us look at the word valuable closer, more specifically the root of the word, value. Merriam-Webster defines value as, “to rate or scale in usefulness, importance, or general worth.” In regards to the NFL, this word has lost all meaning.

Instead of giving the award to a player who has a higher usefulness, importance and general worth, in recent years we have seen the award go to those who can get the most clicks, the most likes, the most shares. The award goes to players the NFL wants to show off because of the attention it brings the league instead of giving it to the rightful player.

This is where the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year award comes in. This award has no reason to exist. It is as simple as that. The only reason this award exists is because the NFL still wants to make sure that players who may have deserved to win the MVP award still get something. It takes away the suspicion that the MVP award is all a hoax. I am not buying it.

The first player that comes to mind as the most valuable player in the NFL is the Tennessee Titans’ running back Derrick Henry. Standing 6’8” and weighing 238 pounds, Henry is a monster on the field and has so far this season had a run clocked at 21.8 mph.

Henry is brought up in sports talk shows day in and day out with people saying that there is no way a person of his size should be running and putting up the numbers that he is. The last two years Henry finished the season with 16 and 17 touchdowns respectively. This year he is already at 10 and the season is not even halfway over.

Last season Henry joined elite company as he rushed for over 2,000 yards on the season. Only seven other players in the history of the NFL share the same honor. Looking at his stats for this year, Henry leads all running backs with 869 rushing yards, the next closest is division rival Johnathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts with 579 rushing yards. Henry holds a nearly 300 yard cushion between him and the current second best runner in the league.

So, when looking at the word value again and then looking at Henry and the weight he has carried for the Tennessee Titans, it is almost insane that he has not been given the award. Ultimately and unfortunately, this all comes down to the NFL and their greedy ways. Something needs to change to give the players like Henry the respect and honor they deserve.

Photo from Flickr