SAN FRANCISCO, — Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has won the Associated Press NFL Most Valuable Player award for the 2025 season, edging New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye in one of the closest ballots in modern league history.
Stafford was announced as the winner at NFL Honors on Thursday night, collecting 24 of 50 first-place votes and 366 total points. Maye finished just behind with 23 first-place votes and 361 points — a five-point margin that AP and league coverage described as the closest MVP finish since 2003, when Peyton Manning and Steve McNair shared the award.
The result capped what many analysts called Stafford’s finest regular season in his 17-year career. ESPN’s awards review credited him with league-leading production in passing yards and touchdowns, along with elite efficiency metrics that helped drive the Rams’ offense throughout 2025.
In his acceptance remarks, Stafford immediately addressed speculation about retirement, announcing he will return for the 2026 campaign. The Rams later reinforced that message through team media, where Stafford said he intends to keep playing and “run it back” next season.
The narrow vote also reflected how split the electorate was at the top. Beyond Stafford and Maye, a handful of first-place ballots went elsewhere, underscoring a season with no unanimous frontrunner and a late push by multiple quarterbacks.
For the Rams, Stafford’s decision provides immediate offseason clarity at the game’s most important position. Rather than entering 2026 with uncertainty under center, Los Angeles can build around an MVP quarterback still playing at a high level, while managing long-term succession planning in parallel.
For the Patriots, Maye’s near-miss still signals rapid ascent. Finishing one first-place vote shy of the award in his first full season as a franchise centerpiece positions him as a likely perennial contender if New England sustains its trajectory.
