The PFWA also announced that Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley was voted Offensive Player of the Year and Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell was selected Defensive Player of the Year.
Brady, in his 18th NFL season, is the 44th MVP honoured by the PFWA, earning the award for the third time (2007, 2010). He is second behind Peyton Manning, who had four (2004, 2008, 2009, 2013).
The 40-year-old Brady started all 16 games in 2017 and completed 385 of 581 passes (66.3 percent) for a league-leading 4,577 yards with 32 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. He had a 102.8 passer rating (third in the NFL) as the Patriots gained the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed with a 13-3 record behind 458 points scored (second in the NFL).
Gurley, in his third season, became the fourth Rams player to be selected as PFWA Offensive Player of the Year, with quarterback Kurt Warner (1999) and running back Marshall Faulk (2000-01). He is the first running back to win the Offensive Player of the Year award since DeMarco Murray (2014). Gurley was selected to the PFWA’s 2017 All-NFL and All-NFC teams.
Gurley started 15 games in 2017, rushing 279 times for 1,305 yards (second in the NFL) and 13 touchdowns. He also caught a team-high 64 passes for 788 yards and six touchdowns to lead the NFL in both total yards from scrimmage (2,093) and total touchdowns (19).
Campbell, in his 10th season, started all 16 games and had 67 total tackles, an AFC-leading and team record 14.5 sacks (second in the NFL). He also had 14 tackles for loss, 30 quarterback hits, three passes defensed, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He set a team record with four sacks in the season opener at Houston on September 10.
