Four weeks into the 2026 NFL season, the MVP picture remains unsettled, but Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson and Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young have emerged among the players pushing into the early conversation ahead of Week 5.
The league is still in the smallest of samples, with injuries, late-season surges and unexpected collapses certain to reshape the race over the next three months. Early October momentum has often proved unreliable when the award is decided after the regular season.
Last year offered a reminder of how quickly the field can change. Baker Mayfield was playing at an MVP-caliber level at this point of the schedule, while Patrick Mahomes was among the leading candidates before a knee injury ended his season in December. Matthew Stafford, carrying odds near +1600 last October, ultimately edged Drake Maye, who had been listed around +1800, for the 2025 MVP award.
Robinson and Young join the early chase
Robinson has put himself in position as one of the non-quarterbacks demanding attention in an award race that usually favors passers. His standing reflects the value of an elite all-purpose running back when he becomes the centerpiece of an offense.
Young, meanwhile, is in the next tier of early candidates as Carolina enters Week 5. Quarterbacks traditionally dominate MVP voting, and sustained success over the remaining schedule will determine whether he can stay alongside the league’s top contenders.
No October ranking can settle an MVP race. The next several weeks will bring pivotal matchups, possible injuries and new breakout performances, leaving plenty of room for the league’s most valuable-player debate to shift before the season reaches January.
