Official Finalists Announced for MVP, Other Awards for 2025 NFL Season

NFL League Archives |
Written By Blaise Bourgeois | Published at January 22, 2026
Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams
Sep 28, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) leaves the field after the game against the Indianapolis Colts at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

On Thursday morning, the NFL announced the finalists for eight of The Associated Press' 2025 NFL awards, including the five finalists for NFL MVP. The winners will be announced on February 5 at the 15th-annual NFL Honors ceremony.

All awards voting has been completed. The Associated Press voting system has a nationwide panel of 50 media members who rank their top-five choices for NFL MVP and all other major awards. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second, third, fourth, and fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2, and 1 points, respectively. Five finalists are announced for every award.

San Francisco 49ers superstar running back Christian McCaffrey is the first player in NFL history to be nominated for three different awards. He is one of the five NFL MVP finalists and is also up for the Offensive Player of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year awards.

Votes were tabulated by the accounting firm of Lutz and Carr and are kept completely confidential until the NFL Honors ceremony.

NFL Most Valuable Player

Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams QB

About to be 38 years old, Stafford is the oddsmaker's favorite to win his first-career MVP award. Stafford led the NFL with 4,707 passing yards and an incredible 46 passing touchdowns (T-7th-most in NFL history) against just eight interceptions.

Stafford has already been named First-Team All-Pro for the first time in his illustrious career, incredibly considering his 64,516 passing yards is sixth on the all-time list, behind only Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, and Aaron Rodgers.

Drake Maye, New England Patriots QB

In just his second season, Maye led the New England Patriots to one of the most-impressive single-season turnarounds in NFL history, taking the Pats from 4-13 to 14-3 and the AFC Championship game.

Maye's 77.2 QBR is far and away the highest in the NFL, and all the advanced metrics are clear that Maye's season is the best of any quarterback in the NFL Next Gen Stats era (since 2016).

It's a two-horse race between Maye and Stafford to realistically win the MVP award. While many believe Stafford deserves to win it at face value, Maye should get plenty of credit for his heroics without the two All-Pro wide receivers and Pro Bowl running back that Stafford has to help him.

Maye's final line for the season: 4,394 passing yards on a league-high 72.0 completion percentage with 31 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Maye also used his legs to the tune of 450 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns.

Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars QB

Also a contender for NFL Comeback Player of the Year, Trevor Lawrence finds himself as a nominee to win NFL MVP when many were labeling him as a potential bust just one year ago.

Lawrence is the first Jacksonville Jaguar to ever be named a finalist for NFL MVP, orchestrating a phenomenal turnaround from a 4-13 team to 13-4 in a single season.

Lawrence and the Jaguars finished the regular season in style by winning their last eight games of the season, with Lawrence truly being unlocked with the addition of Jakobi Meyers. Lawrence's numbers in the last six games of the season were jaw-dropping: 1600 passing yards, 19 total touchdowns, one interception.

Lawrence's final line for the season: 4007 passing yards with 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He added 359 rushing yards with a career-high nine touchdowns on the ground.

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Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills QB

Allen, who won the NFL MVP award last season, has been nominated for the fifth time in the last six seasons. Allen led the Buffalo Bills to the postseason for the seventh consecutive year.

Despite his QBR being its worst since 2019, Allen had a phenomenal individual season, especially given his lack of weapons at wide receiver and a weakened offensive line. He was sacked a career-high 40 times this season after only being taken down 14 times in 2024.

Allen threw for 3668 yards and had 25 touchdowns against 10 interceptions, posting a career-high 69.3 completion percentage. Allen also ran for 579 yards and 14 touchdowns, bringing his career total to 79 rushing touchdowns. He passed Cam Newton and is now the quarterback with the most rushing touchdowns in NFL history, now ranking 23rd overall at just 29 years old.

Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers RB

McCaffrey, once again, was able to overcome serious injuries to have another incredible season.

Already being one of three players to ever post a season with 1,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards, McCaffrey flirted with doing it for a second time, ultimately finishing with 1,202 rushing yards, 924 receiving yards, and 17 total touchdowns. McCaffrey was named as a First-Team All-Pro for the third time in his career.

Despite suffering numerous season-long injuries throughout his career, at just 29, McCaffrey's 98 total touchdowns rank 29th on the all-time list. There's little doubt he'll be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.

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NFL Defensive Player of the Year

NFL Offensive Player of the Year

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year

NFL Comeback Player of the Year

NFL Coach of the Year

NFL Assistant Coach of the Year

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