The two favorites may be in the NFC West:Matthew Stafford and Sam Darnold have put on a show all year long for two of the best teams in football.
Jonathan Taylor‘s performance can't be disquieted: Taylor has been the NFL's most prolific rusher and is outpacing even Saquon Barkley from a year ago.
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The 2025 NFL season has been a fun and chaotic one. Parity has been a focal point, with 20 teams within a game of .500 or better and a slew of upsets every week. Likewise, unexpected teams are in position to win their divisions and make the postseason.
Amid the frenzied play, certain stars have begun to separate themselves. While Most Valuable Player discourse usually revolves around certain household players — namely Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and JoshAllen — one of the themes of 2025 is new faces emerging.
Below is a summary of the top contenders for football’s most prestigious on-field award to this point, assessing each’s candidacy using PFF data — including PFF’s signature Wins Above Replacement metric.
Note: All stats and grades are prior to Monday night unless otherwise noted.
QBMatthew Stafford,Los Angeles Rams
PFF WAR: 1.98
Most of the last eight months have been uncertain for Stafford, from navigating trade rumors to lingering concern about the state of his back in the preseason. Perhaps it’s only fitting, then, that his play this year has been anything but.
At age 37, Stafford is in the midst of his best season yet. The two-time Pro Bowler leads all quarterbacks in PFF passing grade (92.4) and big-time throws (23) and is also the most valuable player by PFF WAR. Stafford has been elite virtually everywhere, slotting second among qualifiers in passing grade under pressure (66.6) and fifth in passing grade when blitzed (81.4). After all, his last six games have featured 15 big-time throws and only five turnover-worthy plays, plus 20 touchdowns to zero interceptions.
With the Rams 7-2 and one of the best teams in the NFL, Stafford is shaping up to be the favorite to take home his first MVP. However, winning the NFC West — which Los Angeles has a 59% chance to do, according to the PFF Power Rankings — may be the key considering the competition, including within his own division.
QBSam Darnold,SeattleSeahawks
PFF WAR: 1.86
Some questioned why the Seahawks would willingly swap Geno Smith for Darnold, especially after the latter displayed cracks in his game at the end of the 2024 season. So far, the move has been a home run for general manager John Schneider.
Through 10 weeks, Darnold is first among quarterbacks in overall PFF grade (93.1) and big-time throw rate (9.0%) while placing second in passing grade (92.3), passer rating (116.5) and WAR. Darnold has made his heyday throwing down the field, producing a staggering 99.5 passing grade on throws past the sticks and a 99.9 mark on deep (20-plus-yard) attempts.
With Darnold leading the charge, Seattle is 7-2 and one of the top teams in football. His two looming head-to-head showdowns with Stafford — starting on Sunday — will be large determinants in deciding the MVP race.
QBDrakeMaye,New England Patriots
PFF WAR: 1.47
After an impressive rookie campaign by 2024 quarterback draft picks, others were expected to emerge in 2025. The headliner of that group has undoubtedly been Maye, who’s morphed into one of the foremost gunslingers in football.
In his sophomore season, Maye is fourth in PFF passing grade (82.8), sixth in overall PFF grade (83.6), fourth in adjusted completion percentage (80.5%) and fifth in WAR. His breakout has coincided with the 8-2 Patriots leading the AFC East by two games and boasting a 93% chance to reach the postseason.
Maye’s MVP candidacy has gained steam over the last few weeks, with the North Carolina product now the betting favorite to stake the prize at sites like DraftKings. At the same time, he’s churned out just a 67.4 overall PFF grade in his last three games, with six big-time throws to five turnover-worthy plays.
If the Patriots fend off the Bills to claim a division title, Maye could feasibly win MVP. However, he may need to play like his earlier form to beat out his NFC West foes.
Click here for Maye's full PFF profile!
QBDak Prescott,Dallas Cowboys
PFF WAR: 1.93
The Cowboys’ season has been a strange one, featuring one of the league’s most efficient offenses but worst defenses — with a blockbuster trade sprinkled in, too. Amid the perennial hullabaloo associated with Dallas, Prescott has been one of the better players in football.
In his return from a season-ending hamstring injury, Prescott ranks third in both overall (87.8) and PFF passing grades (86.4) among qualified quarterbacks. On top of that, his 1.93 WAR is second, with Prescott often having to don a cape in order to overcome his porous defense.
Prescott’s 2025 season is similar to Joe Burrow’s a year ago, wherein both players were fantastic by themselves — but in nonideal situations to actually win MVP. Unless Dallas (3-5-1) miraculously finds a way into the postseason, Prescott probably won’t receive as much hype for this honor as he should.
RBJonathanTaylor, IndianapolisColts
PFF WAR: 0.15
At 8-2, the Colts have been the unquestioned surprise team in pro football this year. There are several factors for Indianapolis’ success, but none bigger than Taylor.
Finally healthy for a full season, Taylor has made opposing defenses pay. He leads all qualified running backs in PFF rushing grade (90.1), yards after contact per attempt (4.47), missed tackles forced (48), runs of 10-plus yards (28) and first downs gained (58). His 244-yard, three-score game against the Falcons in Berlin was a new zenith in an unbelievable season.
There are several issues complicating Taylor’s MVP candidacy, though — and many of them will sound familiar to a year ago, when Saquon Barkley didn’t win the award. Yes, Taylor has been the most valuable running back in football this season, but not by much; indeed, Christian McCaffrey (0.14) and BijanRobinson (0.13) aren’t far behind. Moreover, Taylor’s 84.6 overall PFF grade trails both James Cook and Jahmyr Gibbs.
Taylor’s advanced metrics are better than Barkley’s through 10 games, as the table below indicates — which does point to him as a legitimate MVP candidate. However, the simple answer is that if Barkley didn’t win MVP last season, it’s difficult to fathom that Taylor would do so in 2025.
Metric Jonathan Taylor Saquon Barkley
Overall PFF Grade 84.6 81.9
PFF Rushing Grade 90.1 82.7
Rushing Yards 1,139 1,137
Yards After Contact/Attempt 4.47 3.15
Missed Tackles Forced 48 34
Runs of 10+ Yards 28 26
First Downs Gained 58 51
QBJustin Herbert,Los Angeles Chargers
PFF WAR: 1.72
No MVP candidate list would be complete without Herbert, who’s yet again playing stupendous football in 2025. This season, Herbert sits fourth in overall PFF grade (87.4), fifth in PFF passing grade (80.7) and fourth in WAR among qualified quarterbacks. His mobility has been an enhanced weapon this year, boasting a position-best 91.1 PFF rushing grade.
Herbert’s play has been even more remarkable considering that the Chargers’ offensive line ranks just 29th in PFF pass-blocking grade, down both Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt for the rest of the season. Despite being under pressure on a league-high 173 dropbacks, Herbert is third in overall grade (67.3) in such situations.
At 7-3, the Chargers are very much in the mix to win the AFC West — holding a 28% chance of doing so. Still, Los Angeles would probably need to dethrone both the Broncos and outlast the Chiefs for Herbert to really solidify his campaign. The Chargers playing the sixth-hardest remaining schedule also doesn’t help his odds.
QBJoshAllen,BuffaloBills
PFF WAR: 1.37
The reigning MVP certainly deserves to be mentioned on this list, especially because he’s been nearly as excellent as he was last year. In 2025, Allen is fifth among qualifiers in overall PFF grade (85.3) and has produced the lowest turnover-worthy play rate (1.2%) in that group. His 134 first downs accrued are also second among that bunch.
If the Bills can’t catch the Patriots in the AFC East, Allen’s case to repeat will be fairly moot. At the same time, Allen was sensational late last year to seal the deal — his 94.4 overall grade led all starters from Weeks 11-18. Perhaps another push could not only galvanize another Buffalo division title, but also another MVP for No. 17.
QBJordan Love,Green Bay Packers
PFF WAR: 1.26
Love has been a bit of a hot-and-cold player during his three-year reign as Green Bay’s starting quarterback. Yet, he’s been a bit more consistent this season, producing an 80.4 PFF passing grade with a 5.3% big-time throw rate — both of which are in the top six for qualified quarterbacks. Even then, he’s reverted a bit lately, with 62.0 passing marks or lower in two of his last three games sandwiching a 79.5 effort against the Steelers in Week 8.
Now 5-3-1, the Packers have a 73% chance to make the playoffs. Still, Green Bay would probably need to a) win the NFC North and b) garner a top-two seed for Love to firmly enter MVP conversations. Then again, Toyotathon is yet to go into effect — maybe Love will kick things up a gear to really join the fray.