NFL 2021 awards: Aaron Rodgers named Most Valuable Player for fourth time

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been named the NFL's Most Valuable Player for the fourth time.

The 38-year-old is the first player to win the award in back-to-back seasons since Peyton Manning in 2008 and 2009.

Rodgers finished 2021's regular season with the NFL's highest passer rating (111.9), helping the Packers become the top seed in the NFC Conference.

Only three quarterbacks had more touchdown passes than Rodgers (37), who threw just four interceptions.

Rodgers, who also won the award in 2011, 2014 and 2020, is now only behind Manning (five) for the most MVPs.

Votes are cast at the end of the regular season, with Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady and Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp the only other players to receive any votes.

Brady, 44, led the league for passing yards with a career-best 5,316. The seven-time Super Bowl winner retired after defending champions Tampa Bay lost in this year's play-offs.

Kupp, who became only the fourth player since 1970 to win the triple crown of most receptions (145), most receiving yards (1,947) and most receiving touchdowns (16), was named Offensive Player of the Year.

The 28-year-old also became the first wide receiver to pass 2,000 yards from scrimmage in a single season and post-season, and is set to add to his tally (2,349) in Super Bowl 56 on Sunday.

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker TJ Watt, 27, was named Defensive Player of the Year after tying Michael Strahan's single-season record for sacks (22.5), while the Dallas Cowboys' Micah Parsons was Defensive Rookie of the Year after the linebacker-turned-defensive-end became the first rookie in 25 years to pass 80 tackles and 10 sacks.

Wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase was named Rookie of the Year and Offensive