The Los Angeles Rams have had arguably the best offense in the NFL this season, which has been carried by quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Puka Nacua. While many others have certainly contributed to their success, Stafford and Nacua have been the driving force of this Rams offense throughout the season and as they head into the playoffs.
With the regular season now over, the debates over the awards have really heated up and Stafford and Nacua are in the heart of two of the closest races. The MVP award is hotly contested between Stafford and New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, while Nacua and Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba are the two favorites for Offensive Player of the Year.
The NFL Awards ceremony is still weeks away, but Pro Football Focus is already giving out their awards and they named Stafford as the PFF MVP for 2026:
Matthew Stafford: PFF’s MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
🏆 Highest-graded QB overall
🏆 Highest-graded QB when kept clean
🏆 Highest-graded QB on 20+ yard throws
🏆 Highest-graded QB on play-action pic.twitter.com/SKDfotkfTH— PFF (@PFF) January 7, 2026
The race between Stafford and Maye is an extremely close one and both are deserving of the award, but with PFF grading the Rams signal-caller as the best QB this season, that gives him the edge in their eyes. Stafford threw for 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns with just eight interceptions this season.
But Stafford wasn’t the only Rams player to be awarded as PFF also announced that Nacua has been named their 2025 Offensive Player of the Year:
Puka Nacua: PFF’s 2025 Offensive Player of the Year
🐏 96.3 PFF grade (PFF record)
🐏 3.71 yards per route run (3rd in PFF history)
🐏 27 contested catches (PFF record) pic.twitter.com/gSV1dCd0UW— PFF (@PFF) January 8, 2026
As they noted, Nacua set multiple PFF all-time records this season and has truly been special. He caught 129 passes for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, though the odds are not in his favor when it comes to the official NFL awards.
Smith-Njigba is the favorite to take home NFL Offensive Player of the Year and the two have similar numbers with the Seahawks star totaling 119 receptions for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns as well. Like the MVP race, both Nacua and Smith-Njigba are deserving of this award, but in the eyes of Pro Football Focus, both the Rams’ stars got the edge.
Rams’ Matthew Stafford named NFC Offensive Player of the Month
Stafford did receive another honor from the NFL at the end of the regular season as he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Month for December and January, the second consecutive month he won the award.
