Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford on Thursday night was named the 2025 NFL MVP, just edging out four other candidates that included New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, last year’s MVP. 

Stafford, 37, led the Rams to a 12-5 record despite having one of the league’s toughest regular-season schedules, and a spot in the NFC Championship Game, where they fell to the Seattle Seahawks in the final seconds of regulation. 

Despite coming up short of the Super Bowl, Stafford’s 17th season still comes with some hardware, however, as he earns the first MVP Award of his career and further cements his case for the Hall of Fame. 

With a duo of elite receivers in Puka Nacua and Davante Adams at his disposal, Stafford led the entire league in passing yards (4,704) and passing touchdowns (46) and finished with a career-high passer rating of 109.2. He finished with just eight interceptions for the second-straight season and set an NFL record when he threw 28 straight touchdowns without throwing a pick. 

“My name’s going to be on this trophy but there’s so many guys, a lot of you are here today, and I appreciate the heck out of you,” Stafford said after accepting the award. “Your names should be on there, too, with me. This team is really special. It didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but you guys mean the world to me.”

Ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl LX, he still leads all postseason players in completions (66), touchdowns (6) and passing yards (936). 

He’s now tied with Peyton Manning and Rich Gannon as the third-oldest player to take home the MVP Award, coming in behind Tom Brady, who took home the award at 40 in 2017, and Aaron Rodgers, who was 38 when he won in 2021. 

Stafford was named a First-Team All-Pro for the first time in his career this season and was also selected for his third Pro Bowl Game. 

Even with the rampant success, his future remains unclear as he mulls retirement. The Texas native still hasn’t given a definitive answer, and after their loss on Jan. 27, he said that he would take “some time” to decide. 

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

At the end of his speech, Stafford said he was excited to see his daughters cheering him on from the sideline next season.

“I’ll see you guys next year,” he said. “Hopefully, I’m not at this event, and we’re getting ready for another game at SoFi (Stadium). I appreciate you guys. Thank you very much.”

Runners-up

Stafford just beat out four other incredible performances from fellow quarterbacks Drake Maye, Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence and running back Christian McCaffrey. 

Maye, just 23 and in his second season with the Patriots, finished fourth in passing yards (4,394), third in passing touchdowns (31) and first in passer rating (113.5). He also rushed for 450 yards and had four touchdowns on the ground.

He’s the lone MVP candidate who made it to the Super Bowl, leading the Patriots to their first berth since Tom Brady’s tenure with the team.  He spoke about Stafford on Wednesday, noting his respect and admiration for his game. 

“I’d be stoked for Matthew. What a career, what a year he’s had. More important, speaking on the year he’s had,” Maye said. “Played at a really high level. Really every game you saw him making throws, making plays, leading that team at such a high level. What a year.”

Allen, who led the Bills to a 12-5 record, was last year’s winner and he followed up with another stellar season. He had 3,668 yards through the air, 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while also rushing for 14 touchdowns with 579 yards rushing.

Perhaps the most surprising candidate is Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who despite finishing last year 4-13, earned a spot in the playoffs with a 13-4 finish and the AFC South title. 

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

McCaffrey was the only non-quarterback to earn a spot as an MVP finalist after somehow leading an injury-plagued San Francisco 49ers team to the playoffs once again. He had 2,126 all purpose yards and a combined 17 touchdowns. 

He was also named as a finalist for the Offensive Player of the Year, along with Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, and the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.