With just two weeks remaining in the 2025 NFL regular season, the MVP race has narrowed to what feels like a true two-man battle: Matthew Stafford and Drake Maye.
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That sentiment was echoed by Fox Sports analyst Greg Olsen, who acknowledged how dramatically the conversation has shifted in recent weeks.
“If you asked me two weeks ago, I would’ve said Stafford pretty comfortably,” Olsen admitted. “I don’t like punishing guys for one loss. I think we’ve become creatures of the moment.”
Despite that hesitation, Olsen still believes Stafford remains the frontrunner, though the gap has clearly closed.
Even in a critical Thursday Night Football loss to the Seattle Seahawks, Stafford reminded everyone why he’s been the MVP favorite for most of the season. The Rams quarterback threw for 457 yards and three touchdowns, and the defeat had little to do with his individual performance.
Entering the final stretch, Stafford leads the league with 4,179 passing yards and 40 touchdowns, while also boasting just five interceptions, the fewest among the league’s top quarterbacks. Los Angeles sits at 11-4, currently the No. 5 seed in the NFC playoff picture.
With upcoming games against the Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals, both already eliminated from postseason contention, Stafford will have every opportunity to pad his numbers further. While the Rams don’t fully control their destiny in the NFC West, the division’s competitiveness may actually strengthen Stafford’s MVP case rather than hurt it.
Still, Olsen made it clear that Drake Maye’s rise cannot be ignored.
“What Drake Maye is doing on a team that had very little preseason expectations—new coach, four wins last year, bottom of the barrel. That matters,” Olsen said.
The Patriots’ 28–24 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football proved to be a defining moment. Maye threw for a career-high 380 yards, engineered a fourth-quarter comeback, and clinched a playoff berth for New England. Something few expected entering the season.
Now, the Patriots are not just good. They’re legitimate contenders for the No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the AFC, with remaining games against the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins, both of whom will miss the playoffs.
While Olsen can “make an argument for both,” he ultimately leans toward experience and consistency.
“If I had a vote, I’d vote for Stafford,” he said. “I’m not as strong in that opinion as I was a few weeks ago, but I’d still give it to him.”
