Five weeks into the 2025 NFL season, the calendar has turned to October and bye weeks have begun across the league.
Teams are roughly one-third through their schedules, which seems early for serious MVP discussions to emerge among analysts and media members.
That hasn’t stopped ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky from weighing in with his rankings.
Orlovsky shared his top five MVP candidates through five weeks on Thursday, including two Tampa Bay Buccaneers players among his selections.
The most surprising entry came at number five, where he placed rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka ahead of several established stars around the league.
“Baker is the MVP of the NFL right now. Is he in that category? There’s no doubt. Ability to throw the ball? He can go at anybody. I would put Egbuka at my top-5 MVP as well. He’s that special as a player,” Orlovsky said on Unsportsmanlike Radio.
“Baker is the MVP of the NFL right now.” @danorlovsky7 has both Baker Mayfield and Emeka Egbuka in his top MVP candidates. pic.twitter.com/HZOAzM33ZS
— UNSPORTSMANLIKE Radio (@UnSportsESPN) October 9, 2025
Egbuka has separated himself in the Offensive Rookie of the Year race, but MVP consideration remains a significant stretch for any rookie receiver.
His quarterback, Baker Mayfield, presents a far more credible case for the award after his remarkable turnaround in Tampa Bay this season.
Mayfield has engineered four fourth-quarter comebacks through five games, setting an NFL record while silencing doubts about his long-term viability as a starter.
The veteran quarterback ranks fourth in passing yards with 1,283 while maintaining an almost 10-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and completing 65.1% of his attempts.
His Week 5 performance against Seattle showcased his command, completing 29 of 33 passes for 379 yards and two touchdowns without turning the ball over.
Egbuka caught all seven targets for 163 yards and a touchdown while filling in for injured veteran Mike Evans.
His contested catches stretched the field and provided Tampa Bay’s offense with another weapon in their shootout victory.
Whether either player maintains MVP-level production remains uncertain, but their early impact has the Buccaneers positioned as legitimate contenders heading into October.
NEXT: Former Player Makes Big Prediction About Baker Mayfield
