The NFL has officially revealed the finalists for the 2025 Most Valuable Player Award, with several familiar faces in the mix.
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Christian McCaffrey is the only finalist that isn’t a quarterback. He joins Matthew Stafford, Drake Maye, Josh Allen and Trevor Lawrence as the league’s five finalists.
He finished the season with 1,202 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns to go along with 924 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches.
While McCaffrey is the first player to be a finalist for three AP NFL awards in a single season, the MVP race largely appears to be a two-man battle between Maye and Stafford.
Stafford is the slight favorite after leading the NFL this season with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns.The 37-yard-old was named First Team All-Pro for the first time in his career and currently has the L.A. Rams in the upcoming NFC Championship matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.
Maye has a strong case as well, finishing with 4,394 passing yards and 31 touchdowns. He’s led the New England Patriots to the upcoming AFC Championship against the Denver Broncos. He also led the NFL this season in both passer rating and completion percentage.
Allen is the reigning MVP and put together a strong season as well. He threw for 3,668 yards and 25 touchdowns while also rushing for 14 touchdowns. He led the Bills to their seventh straight playoff appearance, but took a loss to the Broncos in the divisional round.
Lawrence finished the season with 4,007 passing yards and 29 touchdowns, but the Jaguars were eliminated by Allen’s bills in the Wild Card round.
While Maye and Stafford have separated themselves as the top two candidates, this year’s MVP race is shaping up to be a very close one.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
