Chargers’ Justin Herbert Dragged Into Drake Maye, Patriots MVP Controversy

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert became an intense topic of discussion around the NFL Honors on Thursday night thanks to an errant MVP vote.

Herbert was the deciding vote in the MVP race, with the honor ultimately going to Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Had Herbert not received one first-place MVP vote, though, the award would have instead gone to New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.

Chargers fans understand fully well that Herbert had an MVP-like display in 2025. His surroundings were miserable, he had surgery on his hand and still had the Chargers in contention for the AFC’s top outright seed with two games left in the season before another playoff berth.

Alas, the lone MVP vote that played a part in the award has caused some controversy, to say the least.

Justin Herbert MVP vote impacts Drake Maye, Matthew Stafford

A quick breakdown of the MVP race: Stafford received 24 of 50 first-place votes. Maye, 23. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen got two of the first-place votes, while Herbert received one. If the Herbert vote had gone to Maye in the closest race since 2003, Maye wins.

And to his credit, Sam Monson of The 33rd Team and formerly Pro Football Focus, explained his decision to give a first-place vote to Herbert:

“I was the Justin Herbert vote,” Monson wrote. “The guy had the worst offensive line in the NFL all season and despite that he was working miracles in almost every single game. Stafford's OL became 2/5ths as bad as Herbert's for 5 minutes and he became a turnover howitzer.”

I was the Justin Herbert vote.

The guy had the worst offensive line in the NFL all season and despite that he was working miracles in almost every single game.

Stafford's OL became 2/5ths as bad as Herbert's for 5 minutes and he became a turnover howitzer.

He embodied 'value'.
— Sam Monson (@SamMonsonNFL) February 6, 2026

Monson finished with this about Herbert: He embodied 'value'.

To say this has caused controversy would be an understatement. The MVP voting process has been overhauled in recent years to include new voices and this was an inevitable result, though.

For better or worse, Herbert’s deserving vote is one of the things now in the spotlight as the process evolves.

Not sure why this is such a hot take. It's actually reasonable. Herbert was incredible in the regular season, and worthy of an MVP vote https://t.co/kWdeD42Wm0
— Jason McIntyre (@jasonrmcintyre) February 6, 2026

Drake Maye lost the MVP because he had one less first-place vote than Matthew Stafford. That one vote went to someone - Justin Herbert - who wasn't even a finalist.
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) February 6, 2026

I’ve got a lot of respect for Sam. Not only is he owing an unpopular stance, but his thought process is completely valid, and imo how MVP should be voted on!

Herbert would have been no higher than third for me, but the process is good here https://t.co/Ib5UjcfyQS
— Tyler Forness (@TheRealForno) February 6, 2026

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