The 2025 NFL Most Valuable Player race has primarily been a two-man battle between Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford. Maye has led the Patriots to one of the most impressive year-over-year turnarounds in recent memory, while Stafford has been highly efficient against some of the league’s best competition.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has also worked his way into the conversation after leading Jacksonville to eight straight wins to close the season.
Here is a closer look at each quarterback’s stats this season, along with a detailed breakdown of their MVP case.
Who Has the Most Compelling Case?
Beginning with Maye, the second-year quarterback led the Patriots to an NFL-best 14-3 record and their first AFC East title in six seasons. He arguably had the strongest statistical season in the league, posting the highest completion rate (72.0%), the most yards per attempt (8.9), and leading in both QBR (77.2) and Passer Rating (113.5).
Stafford has been just as impressive, though. The 37-year-old helped the Rams to a 12-5 record and the NFC’s fifth seed, finishing with the league’s top passing yards mark (4,707) and passing touchdowns (46). Stafford was also excellent at protecting the football, taking the fewest sacks among quarterbacks to start all 17 games (23).
As for Lawrence, he and the Jaguars were just one win behind the Patriots. Jacksonville finished 13-4 atop the AFC South. A primary reason Lawrence has entered the MVP discussion, though, is the eight-game win streak he led to close the season. Additionally, the fifth-year quarterback set a career high in passing touchdowns (29) and added the second-most rushing touchdowns among all quarterbacks (9).
When looking at PFSN’s QB Impact metric, Maye ranks the highest among the three candidates, with a score of 91.1 (2nd in NFL). Stafford follows at 84.4 (6th in NFL), and finally Lawrence at 77.6 (16th in NFL).
Taking into account each quarterback’s stats, PFSN’s Impact rankings, and overall team performance, Maye appears to have the strongest case for MVP. However, early indications suggest NFL voters may feel differently.
The league released the 2025 All-Pro honors ahead of Wild Card Weekend, and it was Stafford (31 first-place votes) who earned the first-team nod ahead of Maye (18 first-place votes).
Although the playoffs have no implications for the NFL MVP race, many will be paying close attention to Maye in his first playoff game. If he and the Patriots can win tonight and potentially make a postseason run, it is safe to say Maye will be an MVP candidate for years to come.
