San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa is the clear frontrunner for NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and it may not be close. The pass rusher leads the league with 17.5 sacks, adding 48 tackles, 18 tackles for a loss, 42 quarterback hits, a pass defensed, and two forced fumbles along the way.
Bosa was a game-wrecker on Christmas Eve against the Washington Commanders. The defensive end had two sacks, was very close to a third, and even brought down the quarterback on a two-point conversion attempt by the Commanders, which doesn't count toward his sack total. Bosa is within striking distance of the single-season franchise record of 19.5 sacks, set by Aldon Smith in 2012.
"I think today secured his defensive MVP [campaign]," tight end George Kittle noted after the game. "I don't know how it doesn't. And if you look at what he does every [game] compared to everyone else around the league, whether it's offense or defense, I don't know why [he's] not in the MVP conversation too."
That's an interesting point. While Bosa is the favorite for NFL Defensive Player of the Year, why isn't he at least in the conversation for MVP? Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is the betting favorite, per DraftKings Sportsbook.
If fact, all of the betting favorites for MVP are offensive players. The last defensive player to earn the award was Lawrence Taylor in 1986. But should people be talking about Bosa more?
"I don't think so," NFL insider Ian Rapoport said Wednesday morning during a KNBR interview. "I think because there's so much other good stuff that happens with the 49ers, and I think what happens a lot of times is the MVP is a guy who you're like, 'All right, if he wasn't here, this team would not be at all where it is.' And I think Bosa is, to me, it's an easy ... Defensive Player of the Year is easy."
Dallas Cowboys fans might argue that one of their star defenders should be in the conversation for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
"And I know there's a lot of, What about Micah Parsons? Micah Parsons is awesome," Rapoport said. "He is a truly excellent player who is dynamic. Just all the good things about Micah Parsons. The year Nick Bosa is having, it would be hard for anyone else to get Defensive Player of the Year.
"I just think MVP is a little farfetched because there's a lot of good that's going on, on offense, for instance, that Nick Bosa doesn't have any part of. But this is all splitting hairs because he's been so, so, so good, and Defensive Player of the Year is what the best defender should win."
You can listen to the entire conversation with Rapoport below.