Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford named 2025 NFL MVP

Los Angeles Rams backmost Matthew Stafford connected Thursday nighttime was named the 2025 NFL MVP, conscionable edging retired 4 different candidates that included New England Patriots backmost Drake Maye and Buffalo Bills backmost Josh Allen, past year's MVP. 

Stafford, 37, led the Rams to a 12-5 grounds contempt having 1 of the league's toughest regular-season schedules, and a spot successful the NFC Championship Game, wherever they fell to the Seattle Seahawks successful the last seconds of regulation. 

Despite coming up abbreviated of the Super Bowl, Stafford's 17th play inactive comes with immoderate hardware, however, arsenic helium earns the archetypal MVP Award of his vocation and further cements his lawsuit for the Hall of Fame. 

With a duo of elite receivers successful Puka Nacua and Davante Adams astatine his disposal, Stafford led the full league successful passing yards (4,704) and passing touchdowns (46) and finished with a career-high passer standing of 109.2. He finished with conscionable 8 interceptions for the second-straight play and acceptable an NFL grounds erstwhile helium threw 28 consecutive touchdowns without throwing a pick. 

Ahead of Sunday's Super Bowl LX, helium inactive leads each postseason players successful completions (66), touchdowns (6) and passing yards (936). 

Matthew Stafford looks connected during the nationalist anthem anterior to an NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks astatine Lumen Field connected January 25, 2026 successful Seattle, Washington. Michael Owens / Getty Images

He's present tied with Peyton Manning and Rich Gannon arsenic the third-oldest subordinate to instrumentality location the MVP Award, coming successful down Tom Brady, who took location the grant astatine 40 successful 2017, and Aaron Rodgers, who was 38 erstwhile helium won successful 2021. 

Stafford was named a First-Team All-Pro for the archetypal clip successful his vocation this play and was besides selected for his 3rd Pro Bowl Game. 

Even with the rampant success, his aboriginal remains unclear arsenic helium mulls retirement. The Texas autochthonal inactive hasn't fixed a definitive answer, and aft their nonaccomplishment connected Jan. 27, helium said that helium would instrumentality "some time" to decide. 

After 17 years successful the NFL, Stafford has 423 touchdowns and 5,562 completions for 64,516 passing yards, each of which is top-10 all-time. 

New England Patriots backmost Drake Maye greets Los Angeles Rams backmost Matthew Stafford aft a crippled betwixt the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams connected November 17, 2024, astatine Gillette Stadium successful Foxborough, Massachusetts. Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Runners-up

Stafford conscionable bushed retired 4 different unthinkable performances from chap quarterbacks Drake Maye, Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence and moving backmost Christian McCaffrey. 

Maye, conscionable 23 and successful his 2nd play with the Patriots, finished 4th successful passing yards (4,394), 3rd successful passing touchdowns (31) and archetypal successful passer standing (113.5). He besides rushed for 450 yards and had 4 touchdowns connected the ground.

He's the lone MVP campaigner who made it to the Super Bowl, starring the Patriots to their archetypal berth since Tom Brady's tenure with the team.  He spoke astir Stafford connected Wednesday, noting his respect and admiration for his game. 

"I'd beryllium stoked for Matthew. What a career, what a twelvemonth he's had. More important, speaking connected the twelvemonth he's had," Maye said. "Played astatine a truly precocious level. Really each crippled you saw him making throws, making plays, starring that squad astatine specified a precocious level. What a year."

Allen, who led the Bills to a 12-5 record, was past year's victor and helium followed up with different stellar season. He had 3,668 yards done the air, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions portion besides rushing for 14 touchdowns with 579 yards rushing.

Perhaps the astir astonishing campaigner is Jacksonville Jaguars backmost Trevor Lawrence, who contempt finishing past twelvemonth 4-13, earned a spot successful the playoffs with a 13-4 decorativeness and the AFC South title. 

He had 4,007 passing yards and 29 touchdowns, adding 9 rushing touchdowns and 247 yards connected the ground. 

McCaffrey was the lone non-quarterback to gain a spot arsenic an MVP finalist aft someway starring an injury-plagued San Francisco 49ers squad to the playoffs erstwhile again. He had 2,126 each intent yards and a combined 17 touchdowns. 

He was besides named arsenic a finalist for the Offensive Player of the Year, on with Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, and the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.