Shawne Merriman Makes Case For Tyreek Hill To Be NFL MVP

NFL MVP is usually a quarterback award. But according to Shawne Merriman, there's another position player making a strong case this season.

Appearing on OutKick's Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich Monday, the former All-Pro linebacker explained why Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill could be hard for the voters to ignore.

"I know it's been a quarterback driven league or whatnot. But at the same time, man, what he's doing, and if he continues on his pace, it'd be the most anyone's ever done in that position," Merriman said.

"And so if you're looking at it from that standpoint, it's okay to pass off that torch to another position because we know the likelihood of this ever happening again is slim to none."

Hill has been one of the best wide receivers in the NFL since the Kansas City Chiefs drafted him in 2016. But so far, 2023 has been a season for the record books.

The four-time All-Pro leads the 9-3 Dolphins (and the league) with a staggering 1,481 yards and 12 touchdowns through Week 13. He's on pace not only to break the single-season receiving yards record, but also to be the first player in the history of the NFL to reach 2,000 receiving yards in a single season.

"No one's going to turn their nose up at giving a wide receiver MVP especially with the way he's performing right now," Merriman said. "We haven't seen anybody in the game this explosive in a very, very long time."

Shawne Merriman Says Tyreek Hill Is Changing The Game

Over his eight-year NFL career, Merriman played with and against plenty of game breakers. And he knows an MVP when he sees one.

In fact, the three-time Pro Bowl player says Hill might just be changing the way defenses play the game.

"I played with some explosive guys. I played against some very explosive guys," Merriman said.

"But what he's doing right now, man, it could be a game changer in how defensive coordinators call plays. ... They may have to, at some point in time, change the game and the way defenses scheme because of Tyreek Hill."

(Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)

Only eight non-quarterbacks have won the MVP award since 1990. The last to do it was running back Adrian Peterson, who had 348 carries for 2,097 yards and scored 13 touchdowns in 2012.

If Hill hits 2,000 yards, he's going to be awfully tough to deny.

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