Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has been named the Associated Press NFL MVP following a 2025 season for the ages. While Stafford lacks the sort of dual-threat wizardry found in recent MVPs such as Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Patrick Mahomes, he does possess near-surgical accuracy and a tireless arm.
Stafford earned a total of 366 points, with 24 first-place votes. In second place, New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye finished with 361 points, earning 23 first-place votes in the process.
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The prior reigning NFL MVP, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, was a distant third with 91 total points and two first-place votes. In total, there were 50 first-place votes to go around, with Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert the only other person to receive a (single) first-place vote.
Depending on how one looks at the results, it’s more than possible that Josh Allen prevented Drake Maye from claiming the NFL MVP title. Allen’s two first-place votes would have been enough for Maye to vault Stafford in what would have likely been a highly debated victory.
Of course, we don’t know that those who voted for Allen would have gone with Maye instead, nor do we know who the lone vote for Herbert would have gone to if not him. It’s possible that things could have even ended in a dead heat, with Stafford and Maye getting 25 first-place votes apiece. It’s also just as likely that those votes for Allen and Herbert could have instead gone to Stafford, thus further distancing him from Maye. Though Maye could have also won those three votes and claimed a two-point MVP win over Stafford.
What stands out most is that this was always a two-person race and in the end it was as close as possible while still determining an outright winner. However, it’s still a compelling question: Did Allen throw a monkeywrench into the voting process?