In our first ever “Looking Back In The OGCFM Era” article we will be looking back at possibly the biggest MVP snub, not just in the OGCFM era, but NFL history! In Season 4, the MVP award would surprisingly go to the rookie K.J. Jefferson. Although he had an amazing season that saw him pick the Raiders up from mediocrity, many felt that George Pickens should have become the first wide receiver to win the MVP award. Let’s talk about it!
Let’s first talk about the great season by K.J. Jefferson. Because of his recent struggles, many people may quickly jump to the George Pickens MVP side but let me remind you of his outstanding rookie season. Yes, the numbers were nice. He would throw for 4686 yards on a 77% completion percentage. He would have 51 total touchdowns (47 passing and 4 rushing) with only 8 interceptions. Not to mention he led the Raiders to a 16-1 record. From a 7-10 record and missing the playoffs to a 16-1 record is insane. In that season he would tie for 7th all-time in passing touchdowns in a season with 50 (including playoffs). So even though many don’t believe he should have won MVP, the disrespect has to stop. Whether due to ignorance or just hate, some people dismiss the MVP-worthy play of Jefferson.
But even saying that it still is hard to deny what Cover Athlete George Pickens did that season. How many receiving records do you think Pickens broke that season? 1? 2? No, Pickens would go on to break 3 receiving records! 3! He would have the most catches in a season with 158! He would have the most receiving touchdowns with 34! And he would have the most receiving yards with 3190 yards! Bruh that is insane! He only had about 1000 fewer yards than K.J. Jefferson and he was running routes! Absolutely insane! Even with teams double-teaming and trying to take Pickens out of the game, he was still putting up monster numbers. And MVP polls had him winning the award throughout the season until the last moment.
So what do I think? If I had a vote I would have picked Pickens easily (no pun intended). However, I will not pretend that the rookie season of K.J. Jefferson was not impressive. There was a point in time when we thought the third-round pick, K.J. Jefferson, would become the best quarterback in the league. But I also believe that Pickens should have become the first wide receiver to win the MVP award. Who do you think should have won the MVP award in Season 4?
©Any Given Sunday News