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Matthew Stafford Wins 2025 NFL MVP by One Vote, Will Return in 2026

A five-point margin shaped by stray first-place ballots has renewed focus on how AP voters define value.

Overview

  • Stafford edged Drake Maye 366–361 with 24 to 23 first-place votes, the closest MVP result since 2003.
  • Three first-place votes went to others—two for Josh Allen and one for Justin Herbert—altering the final tally.
  • Analyst Sam Monson acknowledged casting the Herbert vote and defended it as a value-based choice, drawing public pushback including from Dave Portnoy.
  • The AP panel of 50 media members voted before the playoffs using a weighted 10–5–3–2–1 system, with results tabulated by Lutz and Carr.
  • At 37, Stafford became the oldest first-time MVP and announced onstage he will play for the Rams next season, as 23-year-old Maye turns his focus to Super Bowl LX.