Rich Eisen#38 of 87 NFL pundits · Oct 14, 2026
Eisen laid out their top five NFL MVP candidates five weeks into the season, topped by Josh Allen, whom they again picked to win the award outright, and said Patrick Mahomes already has Comeback Player of the Year locked up. They also said Brian Flores is their pick for Assistant Coach of the Year.
Said on air, transcribed by us · The Rich Eisen Show (podcast)Hear the original
What Rich Eisen said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromJosh Allen is the MVP of this league through five weeks as I thought he would be through eighteen weeks.
- Where it was said
- The Rich Eisen Show (podcast)
- The episode
- Hour 1: Rich’s Top 5 NFL MVP Candidates, plus NFL Network’s Kurt Warner
- The original
- Hear the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- 1Brian Flores to win Assistant Coach of the Year“Well, he's gotta be assistant coach of the year so far, right? ... There is such an award and I would vote for Brian Flores on that front right now.”
- 2Josh Allen to win MVP“Number one on the list is the guy I came into the season saying would be the MVP of the league, and he's done nothing but prove it. Josh Allen... Josh Allen is the MVP of this league through five weeks as I thought he would be through eighteen weeks”
- 3Patrick Mahomes to win Comeback Player of the Year“He's already got play... A comeback player of the year wrapped.”
- 4Top Player Lists“I have, Baltimore Raven and Derrick Henry, two Chiefs, two forty niners with the one more. The Chiefs are Mahomes and Kenneth Walker and Mike Evans and Purdy. Purdy was in the top five, Evans was the one more and it's Josh Allen won.”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Flores to win Assistant Coach of the Year1 | Coach Award Picks | — | — | — | — | |
| Josh Allen to win MVP2 | Award Picks | — | — | — | — | |
| Patrick Mahomes to win Comeback Player of the Year3 | Award Picks | — | — | — | — | |
| “I have, Baltimore Raven and Derrick Henry, two Chiefs, two…”4 | Top Player Lists | — | — | — | — | |
| 4 calls · 4 waiting | — | — | ||||
How each call scored
4 checkable claims — 2 award picks, 1 coach award pick and 1 top player list — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 3 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Brian Flores to win Assistant Coach of the Year
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Josh Allen to win MVP
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Award PicksPatrick MahomesKansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes to win Comeback Player of the Year
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
“I have, Baltimore Raven and Derrick Henry, two Chiefs, two forty niners with the one more. The Chiefs are Mahomes and Kenneth Walker and Mike Evans and Purdy. Purdy was in the top five, Evans was the one more and it's Josh Allen won.”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Gilberto Manzano · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
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After reporting that Colts receiver Josh Downs requested a trade, they identify five clubs as plausible landing spots for them: the Rams, Patriots, Falcons, Chiefs and Raiders, and suggests Las Vegas could also give them a long-term extension.Mike Kadlick · Trade and Signing Calls · Josh Downs · Hit 100
Kadlick names the Chiefs, Patriots and 49ers as the three best trade landing spots for Colts wide receiver Josh Downs ahead of the Nov. 10 deadline.Jordan Foote · Game Outcome Picks · Kansas City Chiefs · Hit 100
Foote expects the Chiefs to rebound at home against the Jets, arguing Geno Smith can't keep pace with Patrick Mahomes and that only turnovers or penalties would keep the game close.
More award picks
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Willie Colon · Award Picks · Sam Darnold · Miss 0
Colon picked the Seahawks to win 24-14 with Sam Darnold as Super Bowl MVP.Danny Parkins · Award Picks · Jaxon Smith-Njigba · Miss 0
Parkins picked Seattle to win 27-16 with Jaxon Smith-Njigba as Super Bowl MVP.