Notes: Jared Goff has 80/1 odds for 2021 NFL MVP

With sports betting now legal in the state of Michigan, now is a great time to throw away some money on a futures NFL bet for the first time! Right on cue, BetOnline.ag dropped odds for the 2021 NFL MVP just a mere nine months before the award is handed.

As you may expect, the shortest odds involve some of the league’s best quarterbacks. Patrick Mahomes leads the way with 4-to-1 odds. Aaron Rodgers is right behind him at 9-to-1, and Josh Allen is 10-to-1.

Want to take the homer route? New Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff will pay out 80-to-1 if he wins 2021 MVP. To put that in perspective, he has the same odds as Vikings running back Dalvin Cook, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones and presumed second overall pick Zach Wilson.

Or, if you’re still recovering from loss, Matthew Stafford has very reasonable odds. He is tied with Lamar Jackson with the fourth-best odds, 14-to-1.

Of course, I would encourage everybody to hold their bets until at least the NFL Draft, but I’m not your dad. Do you what you please.

• If you look closely, there’s one more ring around Dan Campbell’s knee:

• The Athletic had two fantastic pieces this week that have a small relation to the Lions. First, friend of the podcast Jourdan Rodrigue took a closer look at how over the past few years, the Rams have taken their pre-draft process nearly all virtual, and won’t likely revert course—even after the pandemic. You have to wonder how much new Lions general manager Brad Holmes will carry over for next draft season.

Also a crew of three writers for The Athletic took a closer look at the dysfunction inside the Eagles’ front office. It’s a fascinating behind-the-scenes tell all. The tie-in to the Lions? The Eagles initially promised to “foster a culture of collaboration between different departments.” Sound familiar?

• The Lions are eligible to start voluntary workouts next Monday. However a couple full rosters have already notified teams—via the NFL Players Association—that they will not be attending due to unsafe conditions for COVID:

• In more COVID-related news, the NFL sent a memo to teams encouraging players and team employees to get vaccinated. Inside the memo, the NFL said it will limit access to team employees who turn down the vaccine for reasons other than religious or medical reasons.

• Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press had a nice interview with former Lions running backs coach Kyle Caskey. He breaks down this year’s running back draft class, and says some encouraging things about D’Andre Swift and Kerryon Johnson.

• After getting trolled last week, Aaron Rodgers is still taking shots as guest “Jeopardy” host:

• Several sports executives—including Lions president and CEO Rod Wood—signed a letter opposing an election bill that they argue will “reduce participation in elections—particularly among historically disenfranchised communities, persons with disabilities, older adults, a racial minorities and low-income voters.”