Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was named NFL MVP at the NFL Honors 2026 show on Thursday night. Stafford took home the award over finalists Drake Maye of the New England Patriots, Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Christian McCaffery of the San Francisco 49ers.
Coming into the season, there were a lot of questions surrounding Stafford and whether he would be able to perform at a high level as he had been dealing with a back issue during the offseason. But the Rams star responded with one of the best seasons of his 17-year career.
Stafford led the NFL by throwing for 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns with just eight interceptions while leading the Rams to a 12-5 record and a trip to the NFC Championship Game. The race for the MVP for most seemed to come down to Stafford vs. Maye, and the voting results played out that way as well.
AP NFL MVP
1. Matthew Stafford 366 points, 24 first-place votes
2. Drake Maye 361, 23
3. Josh Allen 91, 2
4. Christian McCaffrey 71, 0
5. Trevor Lawrence 49, 0
Justin Herbert got the other first-place vote.— Rob Maaddi (@RobMaaddi) February 6, 2026
This was a much deserved honor for Stafford, who was truly on another level this season. His streak of eight games in which he threw 25 touchdowns without an interception was just remarkable and despite being 37 years old, Stafford looked as good as he ever has in his career. Maye undoubtedly had an outstanding season as well, and has a chance to win the Super Bowl, but this was just Stafford’s year.
His connection with the wide receiver duo of Puka Nacua and Davante Adams pushed this Rams offense to the best in the NFL as they led the league in both total yards and points scored. Adams led the NFL in receiving touchdowns with 14 while Nacua led the league with 129 receptions and was second with 1,715 receiving yards.
While this is the biggest award for Stafford this season, it certainly isn’t the only accomplishment as he was named a Pro Bowler and a First Team All-Pro. Additionally, Stafford was named the PFWA and PFF MVP for his play in 2025.
The question now going forward for Stafford is whether or not he will continue playing beyond this season and he has earned the right to take some time and decide what is best for himself and his family. But 2025 showed that he has plenty left in the tank.
Rams’ Les Snead wants to make most of time with Matthew Stafford
Should Matthew Stafford decide to return for another season with the Rams, general manager Les Snead made it clear that the franchise will do everything in their power to maximize their time with the quarterback to win another Super Bowl.
