Tom Brady has been named the Pro Football Writers of America 2017 NFL MVP at the age of 40, the organisation announced on Wednesday.

The PFWA also named Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley as the NFL Offensive Player of the Year and Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell as the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

It is Brady's third PFWA MVP award, he also won in 2007 and 2010. Only Peyton Manning, with four MVP awards from the PFWA, has more. Manning is a five-time AP NFL MVP winner.

New England Patriots quarterback Brady becomes the oldest player to win NFL MVP honours from the PFWA. Manning had been the previous oldest winner, aged 37 in 2013. 

At an age when most NFL players, certainly quarterbacks, are long retired, Brady posted one of his finest seasons, leading the NFL in passing yards (4,577) and tossing 32 touchdown passes. The Patriots will play the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC championship game on Sunday.

Lining up across from Brady will be Campbell, the anchor of the Jaguars' stingy defense this season. A 31-year-old veteran, Campbell had 14.5 sacks, tied for second in the league with DeMarcus Lawrence of the Dallas Cowboys (the Arizona Cardinals' Chandler Jones led the NFL with 17 sacks).

Campbell had 67 tackles and three forced fumbles. The Jags defense ranked second in the NFL in points allowed this season at only 16.8 per game.

Gurley, the workhorse of a Rams offense that led the NFL in scoring in 2017 (29.9 points per game), took his game to another level this season. The Rams' first-round pick in 2015, Gurley, 23, rushed for 1,305 yards (4.7 yards per carry) and added 64 receptions for 788 yards. He led the NFL in total touchdowns (19) and yards from scrimmage (2,093).

Gurley, quarterback Jared Goff and the Rams' rejuvenated offense led the team to an 11-5 regular season mark, the franchise's first winning season since 2003.