Patrick Mahomes Leads Peter King's NFL MVP Rankings, 49ers' Nick Bosa Enters Top 5

Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes continues to separate himself from the field as the favorite to win the NFL's Most Valuable Player award, as Peter King of NBC Sports argued.

King kept Mahomes ahead of Jalen Hurts in his ranking after the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback missed his second successive game with a shoulder injury:

1. Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
2. Jalen Hurts, QB, Philadelphia Eagles
3. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills
4. Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals
5. Nick Bosa, DE, San Francisco 49ers
6. Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
7. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
8. Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
9. Micah Parsons, LB, Dallas Cowboys
10. Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mahomes leads the NFL with 5,048 passing yards and 40 touchdowns, while the Chiefs are now tied for the best record in the league at 13-3. This alone is often enough to win MVP, but the fact Kansas City has completely rebuilt its receiving corps this year makes Mahomes' production even more impressive.

Hurts had been an MVP favorite for much of the year, but his recent injury has slowed momentum. Of course, the Eagles losing two straight with Gardner Minshew under center after going 13-1 with Hurts might be a sign of his value.

Josh Allen and Joe Burrow will face each other on Monday night, and the winner could get a leg up in this competition with just one game remaining.

San Francisco 49ers pass-rusher Nick Bosa has also emerged as a contender, trying to become the first defensive player to win MVP since Lawrence Taylor in 1986. Bosa leads the NFL with 17.5 sacks and is a major part of the league's No. 1 scoring defense. The 49ers have used three different starting quarterbacks this year, but they are 12-4 with nine straight wins thanks to the elite defensive play.