The NFL's Offensive Player of the Year honour is set to be hotly contested by a field of exemplary skill position players.
Who are some of the contenders putting their hand up for consideration in the season's early sledding? We take a look.
Note: Quarterbacks have been excluded from this list, such is their prevalence in MVP calculations.
Puka Nacua
The Los Angeles Rams talisman set a breakneck pace to start the new season, equalling the record for most receptions through the first four games of a given season with 42 for 503 yards. Another 10 receptions in the fifth game of the season saw him, alone, hold the record for catches through five games.
Unfortunately, the BYU product would injure his ankle contesting a catch in the endzone against Baltimore in week 6 after just two receptions, altering his historic trajectory. Nacua then missed the Rams' London junket, which culminated in a domination of the Jacksonville Jaguars, with Davante Adams winding back the clock in his stead.
Despite his recent absence, and exiting the Baltimore game early, Nacua still sits third in receiving yards in the NFL and has hauled in the most receiving first downs in the league, showcasing his ability to move the chains. He is trusted by Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford alike, to excel at all three levels of the receiving tree.
The Rams offensive scheme is one that scores, and wins, a lot. Anchoring this scheme - the same one that famously netted former teammate Cooper Kupp triple crown, OPOY and Super Bowl MVP honours just a few short years ago - will keep Nacua firmly in OPOY calculations, when he inevitably returns.
Bijan Robinson
A fantasy football stud, Bijan Robinson has rewarded the faith of those who took him in the first round of their drafts this season, with another stellar stretch.
Still in just his third season, Robinson's is anchoring an offence enduring teething pains with Michael Penix Jr. under centre, and is doing so with aplomb. One of the league's premier dual-threat running backs, the former Texas Longhorn has surpassed 900 yards from scrimmage through just six outings. Robinson has recorded more than 500 yards on less than 100 carries on the ground, and just shy of 400 yards from 30 receptions through the air. He is on pace to shatter Chris Johnson's all-time record of 2509 yards from scrimmage, that has stood since 2009.
If he does that, the OPOY could be a foregone conclusion. It is unconscionable that setting such a record would not net this Falcon such an honour.
Christian McCaffrey
Perhaps the prototypical modern dual-threat back, San Francisco's son of a gun Christian McCaffrey has roared back into from this season after injury curtailed his 2024 campaign.
Through seven games, McCaffrey has surpassed 950 all purpose yards, aided by a monstrous performance against Bijan Robinson's Falcons, last time out. The former Panther rushed for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns, on 24 carries, while adding 72 yards through the air, from seven receptions.
On the year, 'CMC' would no doubt like to be averaging more yards per carry on the ground, as his current mark of 3.5 is his lowest since his rookie year in 2017, and the lowest of all backs in the top 20 for rushing yards this season, but different factors paper over this crack.
The 49ers, and their offence in particular, have been decimated by injury this year, increasing their dependency on CMC, undoubtedly a contributing factor in his limited yards per carry. Sheer volume (league leader in rushing attempts) and contribution to the passing game (third for receptions, sixth for receiving yards) also negate his uncharacteristically low mark.
A second OPOY nod, to accompany his 2023 trophy, would place the 29-year-old Stanford product in rare air. Only eight players have received the honour more than once since its inception in 1972. McCaffrey could become the fifth running back to achieve the feat, and the first since Marshall Faulk went back-to-back-to-back in 1999-2000-2001, as part of the 'Greatest Show on Turf'.
Ja'Marr Chase
Last year's triple crown winner Ja'Marr Chase has in recent weeks allayed fears that his impact and production would diminish after yet another serious injury to superstar quarterback, Joe Burrow.
The former LSU standout is on a tear, averaging over 120 yards and 10 receptions per game across his last three outings, while also finding the endzone four times in this span. Chase bested his own existing franchise record for receptions in a single game in Thursday night's shootout victory over Cincinnati's division rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Doing all of this at the whimsy of the Bengals' quarterback carousel adds a certain gravitas. Through seven weeks, three different quarterbacks have lined up under centre for the Bengals, and Chase has produced for each of them.
It is the breadth of Chase's weapons that make him such a nightmare matchup, and could see him join college teammate Justin Jefferson as an OPOY winner. The Louisiana native has sure hands, even in contested situations, an uncanny ability to expose, and in some cases cause, broken coverages, and is almost impossible to tackle in the open field.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
A former first round draft pick out of Ohio State, 'JSN' is the most obvious beneficiary of Sam Darnold's resurgence in the Emerald City.
With a game in hand (Seattle are yet to face Houston on Monday Night Football, at time of writing), Smith-Njigba is still leading the NFL for receiving yards, and has emerged as the league's most lethal deep ball threat, hauling in the most receptions of 20+ yards, and 40+ yards across the league so far this season. He has earmarked himself as functionally 'matchup proof', having found ways to produce against multiple vaunted defences already this season, and will look to further that reputation against Derek Stingley Jr. and co, in his next matchup.
Seattle play in the fiercely competitive NFC West, which may lead to multiple shootouts in the fight for a playoff berth. This style of game bodes well for JSN's OPOY prospects, as he shoulders a lot of responsibility in Klint Kubiak's offence.
Jonathan Taylor
The excellence of Indy's second round draft pick from 2020 has allowed the once-maligned Daniel Jones to flourish. Taylor leads the league in rushing yards, and has registered over 100 more than next best, Javonte Williams. He shoulders a lot of responsibility for 'moving the chains' within the Colts' offence, and as such, has seven more first downs than Williams, too. His 10 rushing touchdowns also lead the league.
Through seven games, the Colts are averaging 3.42 points per drive. That's historic. It's second only to the 2007 Patriots at the seven game mark, and would be the highest of all time, should it still be the case come season's end.
Although it's highly unlikely the Colts offence continues to average more than a field goal every time they take the field for the rest of the season, that number contextualises how great Taylor has been.
He is a workhorse, and seems to excel the more his number is called. His production has been a major catalyst for the Colts winning four of their last five matches, and with the Jaguars losing their last two matches, Indianapolis boasts a two-game lead atop the AFC South. If Taylor can guide the Colts to their first AFC South title since 2014, restoring their place as kings of the division they once owned, while winning the rushing crown, he promises to feature in OPOY calculations.
