PHOENIX — Patrick Mahomes dominated the voting for NFL MVP for the 2022 season.
Now he'll try to break a supposed curse associated with the award.
The 27-year-old Kansas City Chiefs quarterback easily outdistanced Philadelphia Eagles counterpart Jalen Hurts, receiving 48 of 50 first-place votes from a nationwide panel of media members who regularly cover the NFL. He earned 490 points to 193 for Hurts, who got one first-place vote, 26 seconds, 11 thirds and 10 fourths.
First-place votes are worth five points, second-place votes are worth three and third-place votes are worth one.
Mahomes and the Chiefs (16-3) will face Hurts and the Eagles (16-3) on Sunday at Super Bowl LVII.
Mahomes thanked the Chiefs organization and his teammates in a video during the "NFL Honors" telecast Thursday night.
"I would never be standing here without y'all," he said. "Every day we've given everything we have together to win the ultimate goal, the Super Bowl. Let's continue to go for that dream this weekend."
The past nine MVPs to play in the Super Bowl the same season they won the award are 0-9. Kurt Warner was the most recent player to win both the MVP award and the Super Bowl, doing so with the St. Louis Rams during the 1999 season.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen received the other first-place vote in this year's MVP race, finishing third with 151 points. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was fourth, and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson came in fifth.
Mahomes is the third player to win his second MVP before turning 28, joining former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre (27) and Cleveland Browns great Jim Brown (22).
Mahomes was the 2018 NFL MVP in his first full season as a starter. The Chiefs lost the AFC championship game that season, but Mahomes led them to a Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers the following season, and he was also named MVP of that title triumph.
In the second-closest race Thursday, Brian Daboll was voted coach of the year after leading the New York Giants to their first playoff appearance in six years, doing so in his first season with the team.
Daboll received 16 first-place votes and 123 total points to outpace 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who got 12 votes for first and 100 points. Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson finished third with 75 points, including five first-place votes.
"It's a tremendous honor," Daboll said. "You don't think about that when you take a job. You think about leading a team and building the culture.
DeMeco Ryans, who spent the past two seasons as the defensive coordinator of the 49ers, was selected as assistant coach of the year. He was recently hired as head coach of the Houston Texans.
Jefferson ran away with the offensive player of the year honor, getting 35 first-place votes and earning 192 points to make Mahomes a distant runner-up.
"It means a lot — especially where I come from, this doesn't happen," Jefferson said. "I was always doubted, wasn't highly recruited. Having this award is amazing."
San Francisco end Nick Bosa made it a landslide for defensive player of the year, receiving 46 first-place votes after leading the NFL with 18.5 sacks in the regular season.
Bosa and the 49ers lost to the Eagles 31-7 in the NFC title game, and he joked that he's ready to start the season now.
"One weekend in Las Vegas is enough for me," Bosa said.
The Pro Bowl Games were held last weekend in Las Vegas.
The New York Jets swept the rookie of the year honors, with cornerback Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner the pick on defense. Gardner, the No. 4 overall pick in last year's draft, started every game, had two interceptions and allowed just 33 catches on 73 targets.
Wide receiver Garrett Wilson edged out Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker as the top offensive rookie.
"This means everything," Wilson said. "You put in a lot of work to end up in this point, and to see it come to fruition, it's awesome."
Wilson and Gardner are the third teammates to win the offensive and defensive rookie awards in the same season. Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore did it with the New Orleans Saints in 2017, 50 years after Mel Farr and Lem Barney did it with the Detroit Lions.
"I was more happy for Garrett," Gardner said.
Geno Smith, who earned his first Pro Bowl berth after becoming a full-time starter for the first time since 2014, is the comeback player of the year. The Seahawks quarterback threw for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns and led the team to an NFC wild-card berth.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was the Walter Payton Man of the Year. The prestigious award recognizes an NFL player for outstanding community service activities off the field, as well as excellence on the field.