Bleacher Report named Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson an "under-the-radar NFL MVP candidate."

As for why, Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton noted Watson’s 19 touchdown passes, 1,699 passing yards, and 269 rushing yards with two touchdowns all before an ACL injury ended the former Clemson quarterback’s season.

Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff, Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, and New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning also made the under-the-radar candidates list.

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Kirby Smart (left) and Georgia beat Brent Key and Georgia Tech 44-42 in eight overtimes last November in Athens. The Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets bring Clean Old-Fashioned Hate off campus for 2025, playing at 3:30 p.m. Friday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (Hyosub Shin/AJC 2024)

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Carleigh Knight (left) and her sister, Natalie Rogovin, look at Christmas ornaments while shopping at Kudzu Antiques + Modern in Decatur on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

Credit: Natrice Miller