The NFL landscape has a new king as Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams was officially named the 2025 AP NFL Most Valuable Player. The announcement, made during the NFL Honors ceremony on 05 February 2026, in San Francisco, marks the first time the 17-season veteran has claimed the league’s most prestigious individual hardware.
The 2025 race was one of the most competitive in the history of the Associated Press voting. Stafford secured the win with 366 total points (24 first-place votes), narrowly defeating New England Patriots rookie sensation Drake Maye, who finished with 361 points (23 first-place votes). This five-point margin represents the closest MVP vote since the 2003 season, when Peyton Manning and Steve McNair shared the award.
| Year | Player | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Matthew Stafford | Los Angeles Rams | QB |
| 2024 | Josh Allen | Buffalo Bills | QB |
| 2023 | Lamar Jackson | Baltimore Ravens | QB |
| 2022 | Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City Chiefs | QB |
| 2021 | Aaron Rodgers | Green Bay Packers | QB |
Stafford’s MVP campaign was fueled by a dominant statistical season where he led the league in passing yards and touchdowns, completing 388 of 597 passes. Upon accepting the award alongside his four daughters, the 38-year-old quarterback ended retirement speculation by confirming he will return to the Rams for the 2026 season.
While Stafford took home the season MVP, the focus of the football world today, 08 February 2026, shifts to Super Bowl LX. The New England Patriots, led by MVP runner-up Drake Maye, face off against the Seattle Seahawks. Early reports from the championship indicate that the Super Bowl MVP award has already been claimed by a non-quarterback for the first time since 2022, adding another layer of intrigue to a historic week for the league.
In the broader historical context, Peyton Manning remains the all-time leader with five NFL MVP awards, followed by Aaron Rodgers with four. Stafford joins an elite group of veteran quarterbacks who have reached the pinnacle of the sport late in their careers, solidifying his future Hall of Fame credentials.