One of the benefits of a wide-open NFL season is the suspense that comes with parity. The Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Ravens, and Cincinnati Bengals falling short of playoff contention made for an intriguing field and a handful of close award races.
None was bigger than the vote for the league’s MVP, largely split between New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. The latter won by one more first-place vote, underscoring the race’s narrow margins and prompting pundits to defend their takes.
Super Bowl Champion Defends Drake Maye After MVP Defeat
On February 5, Stafford announced that he would return for the 2026 season with his eyes on the Super Bowl. In the meantime, Maye is preparing to take down the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 60, a fitting capstone for his breakout season.
Among those unsatisfied with Stafford’s win is Super Bowl champion Jeff Saturday. The former Indianapolis Colts center took to ESPN’s airwaves to say that Maye should’ve been the 2025 MVP.
“I would’ve went Drake Maye here,” Saturday said on “Get Up.” “I understand the lifetime achievement award with Matt Stafford. He’s unbelievable, played a great season, all those things were great…. Everybody gives me TDs. By the way, he has more yards in total because he also uses his legs.”
Stafford led the league in passing yards (4,707) and touchdowns (46). That was enough to earn a first-team All-Pro selection, the first of his career. Doing so may have sealed his fate as the MVP. Aside from last season, winning first-team All-Pro at quarterback makes one a heavy favorite to give an MVP acceptance speech.
.@SaturdayJeff believes Drake Maye should have won the NFL MVP award over Matthew Stafford 👀 pic.twitter.com/7Iu6aA4g6B
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 6, 2026
Still, Maye had a reasonable case for the award. Despite a softer schedule, the defenses on New England’s path to the playoffs posed real challenges, and Maye passed every test with flying colors. He was more efficient, leading the league in completion percentage (72.0%) and yards per attempt (8.9). His mobility helped set him apart, and he emerged as an elite quarterback without the kind of weaponry that makes Los Angeles dangerous.
“And, by the way, to put a little bow on this, he did it with less,” Saturday added. “He ain’t got Puka [Nacua], and he ain’t got Davante Adams, and he dang sure ain’t got 12 one-yard touchdowns. Hand that thing off six times, it’s a totally different conversation.”
By PFSN’s NFL QB Impact Metric, Maye ranked second in the NFL, behind only San Francisco 49ers passer Brock Purdy. Stafford ranked sixth, with Josh Allen, Jordan Love, and Daniel Jones between himself and the MVP runner-up.
MORE: Rams Superstar Matthew Stafford Announced As 2026 NFL MVP: How Close Was the Voting vs. Drake Maye?
Maye obviously has bigger things on his mind, but his supporters have scores to settle. A strong Super Bowl performance would further push that agenda, and as the Patriots stare down a seventh championship, it’s clear that Maye will likely have another shot to be the league’s MVP.
