Baker Mayfield Tampa Bay Buccaneers
© Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn
Just one-third of the way through the 2025 NFL season, there are no remaining undefeated teams in the league. That marks the earliest since 2014 that no teams remained undefeated, and the second-earliest all-time.
But while it appears every team in the league has its fair share of warts this season, that hasn’t precluded individual players from putting up impressive starts to the year.
Some of those players have even begun to stake their claim as a possible NFL MVP when it’s all said and done. With regular contenders such as Lamar Jackson stumbling out of the gates, it’s opened up the race to a whole new list of potential contenders.
Top Five NFL MVP Contenders Through The First Third Of The Season
Reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen and two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes have been far from perfect to start the season. But unlike Jackson, they and their teams have played well enough (and remained healthy enough) to keep in the discussion.
Meanwhile, several new faces have thrown their hats into the ring. Not all of whom are quarterbacks!
Here is our list of the top five NFL MVP candidates through the first third of the 2025 NFL season.
Honorable Mention: Josh Allen, Dak Prescott, Drake Maye
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott passing the ball
© Scott Kinser-Imagn Images
Given the fact that there are still two-thirds of the season remaining, each of these names are not only still alive to win the NFL MVP award, but firmly in the race.
Allen, of course, as the reigning MVP, will have plenty of hype behind him, and with the Bills working with a shortened deck on offense, he may yet again have to carry the load in Buffalo.
Prescott, meanwhile, has been nothing short of incredible after returning from a hamstring injury that cost him almost the entirety of the 2025 season. If the Cowboys didn’t have the worst defense in the NFL (by far), he’d find himself higher on this list.
Lastly, Maye has established himself as one of, if not the best, young quarterback in the league for a Patriots team that suddenly looks like a real contender to Buffalo in the AFC East.
5) Bijan Robinson
Bijan Robinson
Dale Zanine- Imagn Images
Despite the fact that the Atlanta Falcons have already had their bye week, meaning they’ve played one fewer game than the majority of the teams in the league, Bijan Robinson still leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage.
The Falcons’ superstar running back has 822 scrimmage yards this season. His 164.4 scrimmage yards per game ranks first in the league by a whopping 34.4 yards over San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey.
Oddly enough, for all his touches and yards, Robinson has found the end zone just three times thus far this season. Expect that to change in the weeks to come.
If it were not for the fact that the MVP award has become more or less a quarterback award in recent years, Robinson could be even higher on this list.
4) Patrick Mahomes
Denny Medley-Imagn Images
Yes, the Kansas City Chiefs are just 3-3 through six games. But that’s certainly not on superstar Patrick Mahomes.
Mahomes has looked as good as ever to start the season, throwing for 1,514 yards (sixth in the NFL) and 11 touchdowns (tied for fifth). And he’s done so while throwing to a slew of backup wide receivers.
Don’t look now, but the Chiefs have scored 105 points in their last three games since getting Xavier Worthy back from injury, and No. 1 wide receiver Rashee Rice is not set to return after serving a six-game suspension to start the season.
Considering how good Mahomes has been without his full arsenal of weapons, that could prove a scary proposition for Chiefs’ opponents moving forward.
3) Matthew Stafford
Matthew Stafford of the LA Rams
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Remember in preseason when there were concerns that Matthew Stafford’s back injury could keep him from playing at all in 2025?
Well, fast forward two months, and not only is the 37-year-old Rams quarterback playing, but he’s playing at as high a level as anyone in the entire NFL.
Stafford leads the league in both total passing yards (1,684) and pass yards per game (280.7), and he has a 12:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio. With Stafford cooking, the Rams look like a genuine Super Bowl threat, and if they continue to do so, Stafford could win his first career MVP award in what many believed could be his final season.
2) Jared Goff
Detroit Lions starting quarterback Jared Goff in the Week 2 starting NFL qb power rankings
© Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
Similar to Stafford, Goff entered the new season with a lot of question marks around his performance. Namely, whether or not he could continue to play at a high level without offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who is now the head coach in Chicago.
Well, through six weeks, the answer has been a resounding “yes.” Goff’s 14 passing touchdowns lead the NFL, and he’s thrown just two interceptions.
One small knock against Goff is that he hasn’t been asked to throw a ton in the Lions’ extremely balanced offense. He ranks just 10th in the league in total passing yards and 13th in yards per game among quarterbacks to have started at least five games.
1) Baker Mayfield
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield
© Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Let. Him. Bake.
Baker Mayfield, No. 1 quarterback in our league-wide power rankings, is also the No. 1 player in our current MVP ladder.
Mayfield has been nothing short of incredible for the 5-1 Buccaneers, who are tied for the NFL’s best record with the Indianapolis Colts.
There’s no telling whether the MVP chants were for Tez or Baker 🤣 pic.twitter.com/yfRGMurtOx
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) October 13, 2025
Through six games, Mayfield has thrown for 1,539 yards (fourth in the NFL), 12 touchdowns (third), and just one interception, giving him the best TD-to-INT ratio in the league among players with at least five touchdown passes.
Beyond just his incredible play, Mayfield’s confidence has extended throughout the Tampa Bay organization, leading the Bucs to believe they are genuine Super Bowl contenders this season, and they might just be right.