Matthew Stafford edges out Drake Maye in one of closest MVP votes ever
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Matthew Stafford was recognized on Thursday night as the most outstanding player in the NFL.
In the closest MVP vote since 2003, the Los Angeles Rams quarterback edged out Patriots quarterback Drake Maye to win his first AP Most Valuable Player award in his 17th season in the league. Stafford received 366 points with 24 first-place votes, while Maye got 361 points and 23 first-place votes. Josh Allen (2) and Justin Herbert (1) split the other 3 votes.
The vote was officially the third-closest in NFL MVP history. In 1997 and then again in 2003, 2 players tied for first-place votes.
Stafford’s Rams paced the league in scoring, averaging 30.5 points per game en route to a 12-5 record in the regular season and a berth in the NFC Championship Game. Stafford led all passers with 4,707 yards while throwing 46 touchdowns against only 8 interceptions.
His yardage total marked his best season since 2021 — his first year with the Rams. His 46 touchdowns were a career-high. His completion rate cleared 65% for the fourth time in 5 years with Los Angeles, and he threw single-digit interceptions for the third time in the last 4 seasons.
Despite averaging more than 4,500 passing yards per season over the course of a career that spans nearly 2 decades, Stafford had long been overlooked when it came to awards season. No longer.
The Super Bowl champion quarterback also earned his third career Pro Bowl selection this season as well as his first-ever All-Pro nod. The No. 1 pick out of Georgia in 2009, Stafford also indicated during his acceptance speech that he plans to return next season for his 18th year.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
