Aaron Rodgers was elected the MVP for the 2021-22 NFL Season on Thursday, the second straight year where he got the award. Following a shaky 2019 season where he looked far from his best, he’s been the most dominant quarterback in the league over previous regular seasons, even though he failed to replicate the same level in the playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers.

Rodgers getting the award is a cool coincidence considering how many problems he had with the organization during the offseason and his holdout over the mandatory minicamps. He reported to training camp and, even though he played great over the season, there was always the expectation that he would just move on as soon as the season ended. We don’t know what’s going to happen right now, but there’s no way to deny he played great all year long.

But was it good enough to get the MVP award?

Yes, it was. Rodgers’ stats during the 2021 season were as great as it gets: 37 touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 4115 yards and a 111.9 passer rating. Those are MVP-level numbers and, more importantly, his team had a 13-3 record in the games he played. He was a major asset for the Packers all year long and, in the rare games where he didn’t play well, like the season opener against the New Orleans Saints, it only accentuated how important he is for Green Bay.

MVP Aaron Rodgers thanks the #Packers’ front office: “Mark, Brian, Russ.” Also thanks Matt LaFleur and his perfect eyebrows. “Appreciate you, buddy.” Sounds like a guy happy with his current situation 🤷🏻‍♂️

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 11, 2022

Perhaps even more important, we can go back to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs where Rodgers didn’t play as he tested positive for COVID-19 and, as an unvaccinated player, had to sit for ten days.

Jordan Love took the reigns from him and, to put it mildly, wasn’t at the same level. If we’re talking about the Most Valuable Player, nobody in the league was more important for his team than Rodgers – without him, the Packers wouldn’t even make the playoffs.

The MVP award for Rodgers was well-deserved, whether you like him or not because of his vaccination status and his awful takes thereafter. He was the best player in the league for 2021 and, since the awards do not consider the playoffs, there was a fair winner.