Drake Maye was one vote away from winning the NFL MVP award, and the deciding vote went to a guy who wasn’t even a finalist.
The New England Patriots quarterback narrowly trails Matthew Stafford in one of the closest MVP races in league history.
advertise
Ultimately, a first-place vote decided the game, preventing the second-year quarterback from winning MVP.
Photograph: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Changing voting in NFL MVP race
The race for the 2025 NFL MVP is tight, with Matthew Stafford just 5 points ahead of Drake Maye in the total votes.
Stafford received 24 first-place votes and Meyer received 23 first-place votes, but the final result was decided by a single vote elsewhere.
The vote went to Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, even though he was not a finalist for the league’s official MVP.
If this vote goes to Meyer, he will either share the MVP or directly surpass Stafford.
advertise
Why this decision sparked controversy
The first-place MVP vote carries huge sway, especially in a game that was decided by such a narrow margin.
Meyer’s season puts him firmly in contention, which will only heighten scrutiny of how the final vote unfolds.
While Stafford’s victory followed the rules as written, attention quickly turned to the voting process rather than the performance itself.
With the MVP determined by a vote outside the final group, the 2025 outcome will continue to be one of the most discussed in recent NFL history.
Read more:
