Worst career of an NFL MVP belongs to...

Given the short careers of most NFL players, I find it somewhat surprising that the list of NFL MVPs contains few shooting stars. In fact, most of the players who this award went on to Hall of Fame careers or will be in Canton eventually.

National Football League Most Valuable Player Award - Wikipedia

Looking at that list, I gotta say Brian Sipe was probably the guy whose overall career was the most lackluster. He was All-Pro and a Pro Bowler only that one season when he won the MVP in 1980. He led the league in TDs the year before, but all in all he had a really mediocre career relative to the other MVPs.

Maybe Bert Jones is in that discussion, too.

 

Mark Mosley. A fucking punter won it.

 

He was a placekicker, chief. He had a 17-year career and led the league in FG makes four times. That's a pretty damn good career for a PK.

 

Most of the ones from 1984 on seem to be at least borderline hall of famers, if not first-ballot types.
Redskins running back Larry Brown, the 1972 Associated Press MVP, seems pretty forgettable, though. Had a few good seasons in the early 70s, had a 1,200-yard season in 1972, then declined pretty quickly and was out of football by 1977.

 

It was quite a while ago, but didn't remember Mosley won MVP. He was good, but a
kicker WTF. Did all old-time guys just vote for him because he was the last straight-on
kicker, or at least the last good one.

 

He’s still a kicker, chief.

 

That dude was slick. Remember, back then, one knee injury, ACL, whatever, even water on the knee, meant you were going downhill fast. Really enjoyed watching Brown, Chuck Foreman, Terry Metcalf, Mercury Morris.

 

Cam Newton's going to be on that list if he keeps throwing like he's doing now.

 

Brian Sipe probably would've been a lot more appreciated if he played at least 10 years later.
Guys didn't leave teams back then and you could never sign an Odell Beckham in the
prime of his career. Sipe was stuck in a division with a Steelers team that had multiple
HOF. A couple years ago Kirk Cousins put together a couple good seasons for a mediocre
or maybe not even mediocre team. He was rewarded with a huge contract to a playoff team.

 

But you called him a punter. Your opinion on this matter is null and void. Chief.

 

Bert Jones had one of the greatest seasons ever when he won his MVP. He was a QB that was efficient by the standards of today, not the 1970s, when QB's took more risks downfield and had far higher interception totals. QB's didn't have an interception rate under three percent back then like Jones did in 1976. That was big-time.

Then he got hurt and it all went downhill for both him and the Colts.

I hate it when injuries aren't boiled into these types of discussions. Not a player's fault if they got hurt and it short-circuited their career.

Then there's just historical lack of understanding. Larry Brown, by pro-football-reference's AV standard, was a 10 or better in all but two years of his career on a pretty good Washington team. The raw numbers of the pre-16-game schedule, pre-liberalized offense era always look worse in comparison to today. That always has to be taken into account.

As for Sipe? He was good for a few years besides 1980, but the Browns didn't exactly have a dream receiving corps to throw to in those days (Ozzie Newsome and ... Reggie Rucker? Dave Logan?) and Cleveland coaches never committed to him until Sam Rutigliano came along. Plus, Sipe left for the USFL and was washed up by the time the USFL folded. He had a three-year flash and then faded, so he's probably fair game.

 

Strike-shortened season played a big factor