nfl mvp voting

The Closest MVP Race in Decades: How Matthew Stafford Edged Out Drake Maye for NFL Honors

The 2025 NFL season concluded with a seismic shift in the league’s hierarchy, culminating in an awards ceremony that will be debated for years to come. In a stunning turn of events, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was named the Associated Press (AP) NFL Most Valuable Player, narrowly defeating New England Patriots rising star Drake Maye. The announcement, made during the 2026 NFL Honors ceremony, marked the end of a grueling campaign and the beginning of a controversy that has captivated fans and analysts alike.

Stafford’s victory was not just a testament to his resilience but the result of one of the tightest votes in the history of the league. According to verified reports from NFL.com, the Rams quarterback secured the coveted award in a race that came down to the final ballots. The margin of victory was razor-thin, highlighting a shift in how value is calculated in the modern NFL.

A Historic Vote: The Tale of the Tape

The 2025 MVP race will be remembered for its statistical dead heat. Verified voting results, reported by CBS Sports and NFL.com, reveal just how close this contest was.

Matthew Stafford finished with 366 total points and, crucially, 24 first-place votes. Drake Maye, the Patriots' quarterback who burst onto the scene with a record-breaking season, trailed by a mere five total points, finishing with 361 points and 23 first-place votes. This margin makes the 2025 race the closest since 2003, when Peyton Manning narrowly defeated Steve McNair.

The narrative surrounding the vote has been intense. While Stafford’s experience and leadership guided the Rams to a top seed in the NFC, Maye’s explosive playmaking ability and statistical dominance in passing yards and touchdowns made a compelling case for the underdog. The debate over who deserved the nod has dominated sports talk radio and social media, underscoring the complexity of evaluating individual performance in a team sport.

The Turning Point: Controversial Votes and Split Ballots

While the headline focuses on Stafford and Maye, the mechanics of the vote revealed a surprising third-party influence. Verified reports from The Boston Globe and CBS Sports indicate that the race was complicated by the inclusion of other candidates on first-place ballots.

Three specific voters turned the MVP race "upside down" by casting their first-place votes for players other than Stafford or Maye. According to reports, two of these votes went to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. While Allen and Herbert had stellar seasons, their inclusion on first-place ballots theoretically diluted the vote share for the two front-runners.

This strategic voting (or "spoiler" effect) played a mathematical role in Stafford’s victory. Without those split votes, the distribution of points could have shifted the outcome in favor of Maye. This aspect of the voting process has sparked controversy, with some analysts arguing that the MVP should go to the player with the most dominant statistical season, while others value the "clutch factor" and team success that Stafford brought to the Rams.

The Official Announcement

The drama unfolded live at the NFL Honors ceremony. As reported by NFL.com, Stafford accepted the award with humility and a clear vision for the future. He acknowledged the tightness of the race, giving credit to Maye and the other nominees. Stafford closed his acceptance speech with a powerful declaration: he intends to return to the field next season. For Rams fans, this was a double victory—not only did their quarterback secure the MVP, but he also committed to continuing the franchise's championship window.

Contextual Background: A Legacy Defined by Resilience

To understand the significance of Matthew Stafford’s 2025 MVP, one must look at his career trajectory. Often viewed as a prolific but underachieving talent during his years with the Detroit Lions, Stafford’s move to the Los Angeles Rams revitalized his career. This MVP award serves as a validation of his toughness and adaptability.

The 2025 season was particularly challenging. The league saw a surge in defensive complexity and a wave of young, athletic quarterbacks—personified by Drake Maye—changing the game's landscape. Stafford, however, relied on veteran savvy, pre-snap reads, and an ironman durability that defied his age.

Drake Maye’s rise, on the other hand, represents the new generation. His near-victory signals a changing of the guard. Losing by a razor-thin margin to a veteran like Stafford serves as a "welcome to the NFL" moment for Maye, but also establishes him as an immediate threat for future awards.

The Broader Impact on the NFL

The 2025 MVP voting results highlight a growing trend in NFL awards: the devaluation of the traditional "team success" metric. While Stafford’s Rams were a playoff team, Maye’s Patriots were a surprising contender, and his individual statistics were staggering. The fact that the race was this close suggests that voters are increasingly willing to overlook team record in favor of raw, transformative individual talent.

This shift has immediate implications for how teams evaluate quarterbacks. The "game manager" archetype is fading; the MVP is now almost exclusively the domain of high-volume, high-impact playmakers.

Immediate Effects: Fallout from the 2025 MVP Race

The immediate aftermath of the announcement has been a mix of celebration and scrutiny.

For the Los Angeles Rams: Stafford’s win provides a massive morale boost heading into the offseason. It solidifies the team's identity and validates the front office's decision to trade for him years ago. However, it also raises the stakes for next season. Replicating this level of performance will be difficult, and the pressure to convert this individual accolade into a Super Bowl run is immense.

For the New England Patriots: Despite losing the MVP, Drake Maye’s second-place finish is a monumental achievement for a young quarterback. It accelerates the timeline for the Patriots' rebuild. The organization now has a cornerstone player around whom to build the roster. The narrow loss may serve as fuel for Maye, potentially creating a Manning-Brady-esque rivalry in the AFC for the next decade.

For the Voting Process: The controversy regarding the "spoiler votes" for Justin Herbert and Josh Allen has led to calls for transparency in the voting process. While the AP maintains voter anonymity to protect writers from backlash, the public demand for understanding the rationale behind specific ballots has never been higher. This event may influence how voters approach their ballots in future seasons, perhaps leading to a more strategic consolidation of votes among top contenders.

Future Outlook: What Lies Ahead for Stafford and Maye

Looking forward, the implications of the 2025 MVP vote extend well into the 2026 season and beyond.

Matthew Stafford’s Quest for More: Stafford has stated his intention to play next season. At his age, durability remains the primary concern. However, if he can stay healthy, the Rams remain a Super Bowl contender in the NFC. His legacy is now secure as a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he will be chasing the ultimate team prize to cap off a legendary career.

Drake Maye’s Trajectory: History suggests that quarterbacks who finish second in MVP voting often break through the following year (e.g., John Elway, Peyton Manning). Maye has the talent and the system in New England to make a leap. The 2026 season will be about turning that potential into consistent dominance. If the Patriots can improve their offensive weaponry, Maye could easily flip the script and win the award in a landslide.

The League’s Quarterback Landscape: The 2025 season proved that the NFL is deeper at quarterback than ever before. With Stafford holding off a wave of young talent, the competition for the 2026 award will be fierce. The presence of players like Herbert and Allen receiving first-place votes indicates that the MVP race is no longer a two-horse contest but a wide-open marathon.

Interesting Facts and Trivia

• The 2003 Parallel: The last time the MVP race was this close was in 2003, when Peyton Manning (Colts) and Steve McNair (Titans) tied for first place with 19.5 votes each. Stafford’s win by five points is the closest non-tie victory since then.
• Stafford’s Long Road: This is Stafford's first MVP award in a career spanning over a decade and a half, making him one of the most decorated quarterbacks to win the award late in his career.
• Historic Rookie Performance: While Maye did not win, his vote total is historically high for a quarterback of his tenure, suggesting an immediate impact rarely seen in the modern era.

Conclusion

The 2025 NFL MVP voting results will go down as a defining moment in the league's history. Matthew Stafford’s victory was a triumph of experience, leadership,