New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is about to play in his first Super Bowl after leading the Patriots to a 14-3 2025 campaign.
With the NFL honors tonight, the MVP award will be awarded at the event, with Maye and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford as the two favorites.
Could Patriots QB Drake Maye Steal the NFL MVP Award Away From Rams QB Matthew Stafford?
When the Patriots drafted Maye third overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, expectations were that the franchise would return to its winning ways, but the 2024 season proved a major failure, with the team ending 4-13 and last in the AFC East.
Now in 2025, under head coach Mike Vrabel, the UNC product led the Patriots to an AFC Divisional title and has emerged as one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL.
In total, Maye threw for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns, and just 8 interceptions this season. He led the league in completion percentage (72.0), yards per attempt (8.9), QBR (77.1), and passer rating (113.5). However, has also added value on the ground, which shouldn’t go unnoticed, with the quarterback running for 450 yards and 4 touchdowns and regularly converting third downs on the ground.
For the Rams quarterback, Stafford has thrown for more touchdowns (46) and passing yards (4,707), but also played more snaps and passing attempts. Maye also added production in the run game when Stafford didn’t.
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Then you have to realize who both quarterbacks are throwing to. Stafford has Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, while Maye has Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte.
With that in mind, ESPN recently put out a story with a majority of the reporters giving Maye the edge over Stafford.
The article was published on Jan. 27 by several NFL Nation reporters. Among those reporters/NFL staffers polled were Jeremy Fowler, Dan Graziano, Dan Orlovsky, and Field Yates.
The final poll consisted of only Fowler, Orlovsky, and Lindsey Thiry making the case for Stafford to be awarded the MVP.
According to PFSN’s QB Impact metric, Maye leads all three MVP candidates, posting a 91.1 score that ranks second league-wide. Stafford checks in next at 84.4, good for sixth in the NFL, while Lawrence trails at 77.6, placing 16th overall.
When weighing the regular box-score stats, Maye has the most compelling résumé for MVP honors. The NFL award is determined by 50 media members from across the country, selected by the Associated Press. Still, some signs indicate that league voters may not see Maye as the MVP.
That became clear when the NFL released its 2025 All-Pro teams before Wild Card Weekend. Stafford secured first-team All-Pro with 31 first-place votes, edging out Maye, who received 18.
The awards show will air live at 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. CT) and will be broadcast nationally on NBC and NFL Network, ensuring wide accessibility for fans.
