Only one player has won Super Bowl MVP on the losing team (Dallas Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley in Super Bowl V). That was 55 years ago (1971), and there’s almost no chance it happens in the modern era unless there’s a massive outlier in a losing performance.
The Seattle Seahawks are 4.5-point favorites over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX, less than 24 hours from kickoff. Whichever team wins will more than likely have the MVP on their squad.
Linebacker Malcolm Smith is the only Super Bowl MVP in Seahawks history (2014). The Patriots have had three different MVPs in their six championship wins: Quarterback Tom Brady (2002, 2004, 2015 and 2017), wide receiver Deion Branch (2005) and wide receiver Julian Edelman (2019).
One of those lists will expand on Sunday. Here’s the four most likely candidates for MVP.
Sunday, February 5, 2017 Houston, TX. The New England Patriots vs The Atlanta Falcons at Super Bowl LI, NRG Stadium, Houston, TX Tom Brady celebrates with the Lombardi Trophy after the game. | Bob Breidenbach / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Seahawks QB Sam Darnold
This is the easy pick. Thirty-four of the 59 total Super Bowl MVPs have been quarterbacks, and Darnold is playing for the favored team. But it’s even more likely based on his last two playoff performances, which have seen him complete 69.8% of his passes for 470 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions.
Darnold is playing his best football at the most important stage of his career. If the Seahawks win, he could go from being a castaway quarterback in 2023 to a Super Bowl MVP just two seasons later.
Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Eight wide receivers have won the award before. Cooper Kupp, now on the Seahawks, was the last pass-catcher to be MVP when he was with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. Smith-Njigba, who was just named Offensive Player of the Year on Thursday night, could be the next one.
Smith-Njigba exploded for 10 catches, 153 yards and a touchdown in the Seahawks’ 31-27 win over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship. He had 119 catches for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns in the regular season. If he has a big game against the Patriots’ ninth-ranked pass defense, it’ll be hard to keep Smith-Njigba out of the conversation.
Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half in the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Patriots QB Drake Maye
For the same reason Darnold tops the list of possible Seahawks players, Maye is just as likely a candidate if he can overcome Seattle’s league-best defense. Maye nearly won the MVP award for the season, pulling just one less first-place vote than Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. He could make up for that with a championship MVP.
Maye is a gunslinger, bolstered by elite athleticism that lets him pick up yards on the ground as well. That can change the game quickly, and the Seahawks haven’t faced a quarterback with a legit running threat since Cam Ward in Week 12. That will be an adjustment.
If the Patriots win, Maye is the most likely award-getter.
Aug 8, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the first half against the Washington Commanders at Gillette Stadium. | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
Seahawks LB Ernest Jones IV
Even though only nine defensive players have ever won Super Bowl MVP, it’s only right that a Seahawks linebacker has a shot at it. Smith was the team’s only winner, and Jones has as good a chance as any player on the Seattle defense.
The main reason Jones is the pick over somebody like rookie Nick Emmanwori is the takeaways. Jones had five interceptions in the regular season and has had another in the postseason, plus a forced fumble. Couple that with his tackling volume, and Jones impacts the game more than arguably any Seahawks defender.
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