It seems fitting Peyton Manning and Steve McNair shared the Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player Award Friday. In just the third tie since the award began in 1957, the premier passers each received 16 votes Friday from a panel of 50 sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the NFL.
Manning and McNair led their teams to 12-4 records, with Manning’s Indianapolis Colts edging McNair’s Tennessee Titans for the AFC South crown by winning both games against the Titans.
But they deadlocked for MVP.
“This is such a tremendous honor,” Manning said. “And to be sharing it with Steve, a player I have the most respect for . . . it’s tremendous.”
McNair led the league with a 100.4 passer rating to Manning’s 99.0. Manning led the league with 4,267 yards passing and topped the AFC with 29 TD passes.
The other ties came in 1997 (Brett Favre and Barry Sanders) and in 1960 (Norm Van Brocklin and Joe Schmidt).
Comeback Kitna
With Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer waiting to take his job, quarterback Jon Kitna led the Bengals to a long-awaited resurgence, keeping Cincinnati in contention until the final game.
On Friday, he was honored as the Associated Press NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
“My whole life, I never had anything handed to me,” Kitna said. “Nobody thought I was `the guy.’ I was always a pretty good athlete, but I was never one that people clamored about.”
Injured Packers return
Six Green Bay starters returned to practice Friday: wideouts Donald Driver and Robert Ferguson, cornerbacks Mike McKenzie and Al Harris, linebacker Na’il Diggs and nose tackle Gilbert Brown.
But defensive end Chukie Nwokorie, who cracked a bone in his right wrist last week, remained sidelined and likely won’t play Sunday against Seattle. The Packers will be short-handed at defensive end if Nwokorie can’t play. Their only other backup end is Jamal Reynolds, who has been inactive for the last nine weeks.
