The Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots each have several longshot MVP candiates who could emerge as heroes in Super Bowl LX.
Super Bowl LX will see either the New England Patriots claim a seventh Lombardi Trophy or the Seattle Seahawks win for just the second time in franchise history.
Typically, the Super Bowl MVP award is the domain of quarterbacks, with the honour going to a signal-caller 34 times since the game’s inception.
That was the case in the first Super Bowl meeting between these two teams, when Tom Brady won the MVP after orchestrating a fourth-quarter comeback win over the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.
But the Super Bowl is also a stage for unlikely heroes, with this previous matchup famously decided by cornerback Malcolm Butler’s goal-line interception of Russell Wilson.
Butler did not win the MVP despite those heroics, but there is a clear possibility that the prize could go to an unexpected recipient as the confetti falls on Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.
The likes of Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Drake Maye and Stefon Diggs will be the favourites for MVP honours, but here we look at some of the more under-the-radar candidates.
Super Bowl LX longshot MVP candidates
Seattle Seahawks
Rashid Shaheed
Shaheed has already demonstrated his tremendous value to the Seahawks this postseason, with his opening kickoff return for a touchdown setting in motion the blowout of the San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round.
His speed makes him a substantial big-play threat as a receiver, a runner out of the backfield and in the return game. As the likes of Desmond Howard, Devin Hester and Jacoby Jones have shown in years gone by, it is on the biggest stage that such talents often shine brightest.
Ernest Jones
The stars up front and in the secondary get most of the limelight on the Seattle defense, but the man who makes that group tick is Jones.
Jones is the defensive signal-caller for Mike Macdonald. He is the one that relays the defensive calls to the rest of the group, and Jones is also the player whose aggressive style of play typifies the mindset of a ferocious defense.
A second-team All-Pro this season, Jones led the Seahawks with five interceptions in the regular season. In the Seahawks’ lone Super Bowl victory, linebacker Malcolm Smith was the unlikely MVP after returning an interception for a touchdown. With Jones’ ball-hawking abilities, could history repeat itself?
Nick Emmanwori
While Jones is the heartbeat of the Seattle defense, rookie Emmanwori is the Swiss Army Knife that gives the Seahawks an additional advantage on that side of the ball.
Possessing tremendous athleticism at 6ft 3in and 220 pounds, Emmanwori can operate as a traditional safety, play down in the box as a de-facto extra linebacker or work as a slot defender.
It is in the latter role where he has been most impactful for Seattle. His blend of size and coverage ability meaning the Seahawks can essentially stay in nickel personnel (5 defensive backs) regardless of whether teams attack them with heavier personnel groups or attempt to spread them out with extra wide receivers.
In the regular season, Emmanwori had 2.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss, 11 pass breakups and an interception, illustrating his ability to make plays at all levels of the defense. A year ago, the Philadelphia Eagles’ blowout was highlighted by a pick-six by rookie Cooper DeJean. Emmanwori doing the same for the Seahawks is a distinct possibility.
New England Patriots
Kayshon Boutte
Boutte was an afterthought in a miserable rookie season in 2023, but is beginning to blossom into the kind of productive pro receiver he often suggested he could become during an up-and-down college career at LSU.
All six of his touchdowns in the regular season came on targets of 20 yards or more. Per Pro Football Focus, Boutte had a passer rating when targeted of 143.8 on such targets, the highest passer among all wide receivers (min. 20 deep targets).
Boutte has already made a big impression this postseason with his 32-yard touchdown catch that iced the Divisional Round game with the Houston Texans. In a game in which the Seahawks will likely look to take Diggs out of the picture, Boutte could write his name into Patriots legend with some more big plays at Levi’s Stadium.
Harold Landry
While their performances tend not to translate to Super Bowl MVP awards, so often it is pass rushers who have a decisive impact on the season-ending showpiece.
The Eagles’ defensive line had Patrick Mahomes running for his life last year, while Mahomes’ team-mate Chris Jones has consistently been a decisive factor in their Super Bowl triumphs.
Patriots edge rusher Landry is not a player on the same level as defensive tackle Jones but, as a disruptive force, he has been continually underappreciated.
Landry had 8.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss in the regular season. He has been kept quiet thus far in the postseason and missed the AFC Championship Game with a knee injury. However, if Landry is healthy enough to feature on Sunday, he will be central to the Patriots’ hopes of derailing the Seattle offense.
Marcus Jones
Nickel corners do not tend to be strong candidates for the MVP, but there is an appealing case for Jones.
The diminutive former third-round pick has made plays throughout his career since being drafted in 2022. He already has an interception returned for a touchdown in the postseason, and picked off three balls in the regular seasons.
In addition, Jones is a huge threat in the return game, leading the league in the regular season with two punt return touchdowns. He is the active leader for career punt return average, racking up 14.3 yards per run back.
It is not hard to envision a scenario in which Jones picks off Darnold and has a key punt return. Should that happen, Jones will be in an excellent position for MVP if the Patriots prevail.
