2023 NFL MVP odds: Longshot Justin Fields of Bears taking heaviest early betting action to win award next season

It's not a guarantee that Justin Fields will be the starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears to open the 2023 regular season, as general manager Ryan Poles could fall in love with Bryce Young or CJ Stroud, take one of those two QBs with the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, and trade Fields. That's considered highly unlikely, however. Bettors at Caesars Sportsbook are all over Fields to win 2023 NFL MVP -- he's taking the most early action at +4000.

Despite being one of the NFL's flagship franchises, the only Bears player to win the Associated Press NFL MVP Award – first given out in 1957 – was legendary running back Walter Payton in 1977. Fields struggled mightily as a rookie in 2021 but improved by leaps and bounds this past season under a new coaching staff.

The former Ohio State star rushed for 1,143 yards, a franchise record for a QB (and the second-most by a QB in league history). He amassed that yardage in just 15 games and scored eight touchdowns. His throwing accuracy is still is a work in progress, but Fields improved from a 58.9% completion rate as a rookie to 60.4% in 2022 with 17 TDs and 11 picks for a rating of 85.2 (73.2 as a rookie). Consider that Chicago had one of the NFL's worst offensive lines and almost surely its worst receiving group. Both areas should be addressed this winter through the draft and free agency, as the Bears have by far the most salary-cap room in the league.

Since Caesars posted 2023 MVP odds, Fields is first by far among all players in tickets at 18.8% and third in handle at 6.0%. Outside of Bengals QB Joe Burrow, Fields has drawn more than twice as many bets as any other player for MVP. He has more bets to win it than Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes (2022 winner) and Philadelphia's Jalen Hurts (runner-up) combined.

"A lot of people aren't going to lump on the favorites, they're going to look for more value," said Adam Pullen, Assistant Director of Trading at Caesars Sportsbook. "Fields is a decent long shot, but if he's with the Bears, the team has to improve. To be an MVP candidate, the team has to be in playoff contention. I think that's a long way to go for the Bears. We'll see if they can turn it around, but when they have a dynamic guy like Fields it can certainly happen. We just saw what Hurts did last year and how the Eagles improved, and I think that's what the allure is for Fields as well."

Chicago's 2023 regular-season schedule ranks as the 18th-toughest in the league with its opponents combining for a .497 winning percentage in 2022.

Mahomes is the +650 favorite to win a third career MVP, which only six other players have done, with Burrow and Buffalo's Josh Allen both +750.

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