NFL MVP 2012: Breaking Down Award's Biggest Contenders

With the NFL MVP Award set to be handed out on Saturday, there is plenty of speculation regarding who might come out on top. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is considered the odds-on favorite, but there are some other deserving candidates as well.

It was once thought that Rodgers would run away with the honors, but statistically speaking there are a couple players who could really give him a run for his money. In what was one of the most prolific passing seasons in NFL history, it is no surprise that quarterbacks pace the field.

Here are the chances of each of the top MVP contenders when it comes to receiving the hardware.

QB Tom Brady (NE)

Statistics: 5,235 yards, 39 TDs, 12 INTs, 65.6 CMP%, 105.6 RAT

In perhaps any other season, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady would be the front runner for the NFL MVP Award. Due to such stiff competition, however, he looks to clearly be third in line.

Brady turned in the second-highest single-season passing yardage total in NFL history this year and he also had the second-best touchdown output of his career with 39.

If playoff prowess were taken into account, Brady might be the favorite, but this is a regular-season award. Brady had one of the better regular seasons of any quarterback in NFL history, but most view him as an afterthought to win the award.

Brady certainly deserves to be in contention, but he won't finish any better than a distant third.

QB Drew Brees (NO)

Statistics: 5,476 yards, 46 TDs, 14 INTs, 71.2 CMP%. 110.6 RAT

If the NFL MVP Award is based solely on statistics, then New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has to be considered the favorite.

It isn't a stretch to say that Brees had the greatest statistical season ever by a quarterback. Not only did he break Dan Marino's long-standing single-season passing yardage record, but he also broke his own completion percentage mark. On top of that, he threw for an incredible 46 touchdowns.

It's hard to believe that such an impressive season may not be rewarded with MVP honors, but right now it looks like Brees will be the runner-up. He and Rodgers are nip and tuck in terms of who should get the award, but Brees' volume of throws may hurt him. He was asked to throw much more than Rodgers, and while he put up better numbers because of it, Rodgers was a bit more efficient.

QB Aaron Rodgers (GB)

Statistics: 4,643 yards, 45 TDs, 6 INTs, 68.3 CMP%, 122.5 RAT

The Green Bay Packers stormed out of the gates with 13 wins to start the season after winning the Super Bowl last year. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers spearheaded the attack, making him the MVP favorite from day one.

Rarely do players go wire to wire like that, but Rodgers remains the heavy favorite just one day ahead of the award ceremony. That comes as no surprise since he was by far the highest-rated quarterback during the regular season.

Had Rodgers passed the ball as much as Brees and Brady, and had he played Week 17 against the Detroit Lions, he most likely would have had stats that equaled or bettered Brees and Brady in every category. Even with sitting out a game he had nearly 5,000 yards, had just one less touchdown than Brees and had an incredibly low number of interceptions.

Rodgers did nothing to take himself off the top rung of the ladder, so he will ultimately garner the award.