NFL MVP 2025: Who is in the running and when will the winner be announced?

The 2025 NFL regular season will soon be coming to a close, and with that, the NFL MVP candidates have very little time to prove they’re worthy of the award. After Week 17’s Sunday games, a few players fell out of contention, while one made a major case for himself, and another still has the edge.

Let’s take a look at the current odds as we head into Monday Night Football in Week 17.

2025 NFL MVP Race

According to the most recent NFL MVP futures from major sportsbooks, this race has essentially become a two-man battle between New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.

• Matthew Stafford (-225): still the favorite to win MVP
• Drake Maye (+180): right on Stafford’s heels after turning in perhaps his best performance of the season in Week 17

Other contenders remain on the board at much longer odds, including Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (+10000) and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (+15000), but their chances have dwindled significantly.

Stafford: MVP favorite

Despite the Los Angeles Rams dropping in the NFC playoff pecking order, Matthew Stafford continues to lead MVP odds in large part because of his historic consistency and elite traditional stats. Across the season, Stafford has thrown for a league-high 40 touchdowns, led the league in key passing metrics, and sustained a high level of production that MVP voters have historically rewarded.

If Stafford finishes the season with late-season victories and strong stats, he could solidify his first MVP honor in a Hall-of-Fame caliber career. He and the Rams face the Atlanta Falcons tonight to cap off Week 17 before their season finale against the Arizona Cardinals next week.

Drake Maye: Breakout star forces his way into the conversation

Drake Maye’s MVP stock skyrocketed in Week 17, when he dominated the New York Jets with 256 yards and five touchdown passes while completing over 90% of his attempts in a resounding Patriots victory.

Maye’s performance not only put his team in strong playoff positioning but also strengthened his individual MVP case. New England clinched the AFC East title with the win, giving him a boost in the eyes of voters who tend to weigh team success alongside statistical excellence.

If Maye continues his high-level play and the Patriots secure the AFC’s top seed, his odds could tighten even further, potentially flipping this into a true toss-up with Stafford. He and the Pats face the Miami Dolphins in the season finale.

Other candidates: Long shots and fading cases

While Stafford and Maye dominate the MVP conversation, a handful of others remain statistically alive in the race:

• Josh Allen (+10000) slipped dramatically as the Bills fell out of the AFC East race and Allen’s recent production waned
• Trevor Lawrence (+15000) saw his MVP chances fall after a modest Week 17 statistical output, despite the Jaguars’ continued success

At this point, unlike mid-season when several quarterbacks were in the mix, the award picture is basically a two-man competition.

When will the NFL MVP winner be announced?

Although the odds may swing in one’s favor, the winner cannot be announced until the conclusion of the regular season. However, it’s not immediate either.

Although the MVP is decided based on the player’s performance during the regular season, the league waits until the playoffs are over to announce the winner.

The winner is announced at the annual NFL Honors ceremony during Super Bowl week, the Thursday before the Super Bowl. This year, that falls on Thursday, February 5, 2026. The ceremony will be held at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, California.

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