NFL MVP Watch: Where Does Aaron Rodgers Rank?

The MVP candidates have one last week to make an impression on the voters before their fates are sealed. Peyton Manning is the two-time defending MVP trophy winner and he will figure into this year's race as well.

One thing is for certain: the winner is going to be a quarterback or a running back. Not since Jerry Rice in 1987 has a non RB/QB won the award. So, by position alone, Rodgers has a decent shot at the award.

Read on to see the top 10 candidates for the NFL MVP. 

10. Josh Freeman

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TAMPA, FL - DECEMBER 26: Quarterback Josh Freeman #5 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throws a pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the game at Raymond James Stadium on December 26, 2010 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

Quarterbacks are not supposed to be this good in their second year. With one game to go, Freeman has led his Bucs to six more wins than they had all of last year. The Bucs also have a strong chance to capture the final NFC Wild Card spot.

Freeman is ninth in the NFL with a 93.6 QB rating. He has been remarkably consistent, while getting better as the season has gone on. He has done whatever it takes to help his team win. That includes, 353 yards rushing on 5.5 yards per carry. 

9. Matt Ryan

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ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 27: Quarterback Matt Ryan #2 of the Atlanta Falcons throws a pass during warm-ups prior to the start of the game against the New Orleans Saints at the Georgia Dome on December 27, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Halleran

Ryan has his Falcons primed to capture the No. 1 seed in the NFC. He has been solid all season in just his third year in the league.

Ryan is one of those quarterbacks whose impact is hard to measure with statistics. He is 15th in the league with a QB rating of 89.8, but he is at his best when his team needs him most. Still, his stats will keep him out of the top five.

8. Philip Rivers

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CINCINNATI - DECEMBER 26: Philip Rivers #17 of the San Diego Chargers throws a pass during the Chargers 34-20 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL game at Paul Brown Stadium on December 26, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Imag

Philip Rivers leads the league in yards and yards per attempt. He is second in QB rating and he has done all of this while dealing with a rotating group of receivers.

The Chargers as a team have been a disappointment and this is an award that almost exclusively goes to players on the best teams. Rivers himself is not completely free from blame. He has thrown 12 interceptions on the year.

7. Drew Brees

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ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 27: Quarterback Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints celebrates a touchdown pass to Jimmy Graham in the second half during the game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome on December 27, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Phot

Drew Brees has seen his stats slip a bit from the previous years, but he had set the bar fairly high. Brees seems to be hitting his groove as the season enters crunch time and his year will be defined in the playoffs.

On the season, Brees is 17th in the league with a 92.2 QB rating. He is second with 32 TD passes and second with a 68.7 completion percentage. In the end, Brees is going to slip in the MVP voting because of his 21 interceptions.

6. Maurice Jones-Drew

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 19: Maurice Jones-Drew #32 of the Jacksonville Jaguars dives against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 19, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Colts defeated the Jaguars 34-24. (Photo by Scott Boehm/Getty I

Jones-Drew rumbled his way near the top of this list, only to fall a bit as he suffered from the effects of an aching knee.

For Drew and the Jaguars, the injury couldn't have come at a worst time. He was limited in the late season showdown with the Colts and then missed his last game against the Redskins.

As a testament to just how valuable Jones-Drew is to the Jags, they lost both of those games. On the season, Jones is fourth with 1,324 rushing yards. He has also added 317 receiving yards on 34 receptions. 

5. Jamaal Charles

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KANSAS CITY, MO - DECEMBER 26: Jamaal Charles #25 of the Kansas City Chiefs celebrates with Thomas Jones #20 after scoring a touchdown during the game against the Tennessee Titans on December 26, 2010 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Phot

Charles has had an outstanding season for the surprise, division-winning Chiefs. He leads all backs with an eye-popping 6.4 yards per carry. He is second in the league with 1,380 yards rushing. He has added 455 yards on 43 receptions.

Charles is going to be limited by his split duty with teammate Thomas Jones. Charles often gives way to Jones in short yardage situations and as a result only has four touchdowns.

4. Peyton Manning

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OAKLAND, CA - DECEMBER 26: Peyton Manning #18 of the Indianapolis Colts looks on against the Oakland Raiders during an NFL game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on December 26, 2010 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Manning has had a rough year. He is only 11th in QB rating at 91.4. The low rating is largely attributable to his 17 interceptions. This has caused him to drop all the way to fourth in the MVP rankings.

Okay, so maybe those stats are only bad for Manning. Despite his offensive teammates dropping like flies due to injuries, Manning has managed to lead the league in passing yards, place fourth in completion percentage and fourth in touchdowns.

He also has his injured Colts in first place in their division. Again.

3. Aaron Rodgers

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GREEN BAY, WI - DECEMBER 26: Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers is chased out of the pocket against the New York Giants at Lambeau Field on December 26, 2010 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Rodgers has had an outstanding season and he appears ready to play his best ball when the Packers need him most. After missing a start two weeks ago due to a concussion, Rodgers came back strong. His four TD passes helped the Pack win a crucial game over the Giants.

On the season, Rodgers is third with a 101.9 QB rating. He is second in yards per attempt and seventh in completion percentage. With the Packers fighting for their playoff lives in the season's final week, Rodgers, more than any other player on this list, has his positioning in the MVP race sitting in front of him.

2. Michael Vick

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PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 28: Michael Vick #7 of the Philadelphia Eagles in action against the Minnesota Vikings at Lincoln Financial Field on December 26, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

With an improbable run back into the NFL elite, Vick has his name right in the thick of MVP discussions. His status will likely take a hit due to the three weeks he missed due to injury, but there is no doubting his value to his team.

He is fourth with a 100.2 QB rating and third with 8.11 yards per pass. He has only thrown six interceptions compared to 21 touchdowns. Also, Vick still has his legs. He leads the NFL with 6.8 yards per carry, good for 676 yards and nine touchdowns.

1. Tom Brady

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ORCHARD PARK, NY - DECEMBER 26: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots looks to pass against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium on December 26, 2010 in Orchard Park, New York. New England won 34-3. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

Tom Brady and the Patriots' offense is clicking. At this point, it seems they can bring any schmuck in off of the streets, put him in a route and Brady will get him the ball.

It will be a major surprise if Brady is not named the 2010 MVP. Brady is first with a 109.6 QB rating by a large margin. He has set a record for consecutive passes thrown without an interception and has only thrown four picks all season. He is sixth in yards per attempt and fifth in completion percentage.

Oh yeah, he has also guided the Patriots to the best record in the NFL.... Again.