With the NFL Honors ceremony taking place on Feb. 5, the race for the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) has seemingly come down to Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. Contributors Jaylen Harris and Jake Aimone debate who should take home the award.
Matthew Stafford
By Jaylen Harris
In the 2025-26 NFL MVP race, Matthew Stafford has the strongest case for the award. His regular-season dominance is best highlighted by his league-leading 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns – 12 more scores than his closest competitor, Drake Maye. While Maye has been more efficient in advanced metrics like QBR (77.2) and EPA, Stafford’s raw production while facing the league’s third-hardest schedule demonstrates a higher level of sustained difficulty.
To further his case, Stafford’s ability to limit mistakes – throwing only 8 interceptions despite a heavy pass volume – proves he was the ultimate engine for the Rams’ 12-5 season. While Maye’s second-year breakout for the Patriots is historic, Stafford’s veteran precision and his status as a First-Team All-Pro suggest that voters value his unmatched scoring output and command in the pocket. For these reasons, Stafford remains the frontrunner to take home the MVP trophy.
Drake Maye
By Jake Aimone
Becoming the youngest player to lead a major stat category in any professional sport is nothing short of spectacular. With a 72% completion rate, Drake Maye did just that.
Tied for fifth all-time in a single season, Maye also led the league in yards per attempt with 8.9, meaning he was airing it out and completing passes a majority of the time. Furthermore, Maye posted a 77.1 QBR: a measure of efficiency and success on every play that quarterbacks contribute to. Maye’s combination of throwing and running enabled him to top the competition in this stat.
Ranking top five in passing yards (4,394), passing yards per game (258.5) and passing touchdowns (31), Maye also had 450 yards on the ground, 4 touchdowns and 38 first down runs.
Finally, Maye led the Patriots to an NFL-best 14-3 record after consecutive 4-13 seasons and their first division title since the 2019 NFL season. Maye’s leadership of the most remarkable turnaround in the NFL accentuates his stellar statistical profile, making him a more-than-deserving winner for the MVP award.
