Drake Maye Lost MVP to Matthew Stafford by Slimmest Possible Margin

Drake Maye came very close to winning MVP in his second season. | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Matthew Stafford is the 2025 NFL MVP. Stafford won the award in his 17th season, just two days shy of his 38th birthday. In order to capture his first MVP he had to beat out 23-year old Drake Maye who is in his second season and will play in his first Super Bowl the day after Stafford's birthday.

While the age gap between first and second place finishers in MVP voting is quite large, the difference in the voting was quite small. The two quarterbacks were separated by exactly one vote with Stafford getting 24 first place votes and Maye getting 23. It is now the third closest MVP race in NFL history behind two ties. The total points from the voting tally was in favor of Stafford, 366-361.

According to the Associated Press, Josh Allen received two first place votes and Justin Herbert received one.

Matthew Stafford edged Drake Maye for the AP NFL Most Valuable Player award in the closest race since Peyton Manning and Steve McNair were co-winners in 2003.
Stafford received 24 of 50 first-place votes while Maye got 23. Stafford finished with 366 points to Maye's 361.

— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) February 6, 2026

Following the '03 season Peyton Manning and Steve McNair tied with 16 votes each. Tom Brady, Jamal Lewis, Priest Holmes and Ray Lewis all received first place votes that year as well.

Before that Brett Favre and Barry Sanders each got 18 first place votes in '97 and were named co-MVP's. Terrell Davis, Steve Young, Jerome Bettis, Dana Stubblefield and Carnell Lake each received votes that year.

Now Stafford and Maye live on that list forever just ahead of Mark Moseley, the Washington kicker who won the MVP over Dan Fouts by two votes in '82.

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