The NFL MVP award has been won by a quarterback every season since 2013, and there is no sign of that streak ending anytime soon. Some have called the award the 'best quarterback' award, which isn't that inaccurate.
Some don't really like to see quarterbacks winning the award each year, but the NFL is clearly a quarterback-driven league. And even while the running game is making a bit of a comeback, the quarterbacks still stand tall.
In 2024 and 2025, Josh Allen and Matthew Stafford won the MVP, so it's been two years in a row of first-timers winning the award. Could that streak continue in 2026? We power-ranked the most likely first-time MVP winners for this coming season.
Power-ranking the most likely first-time MVP winners for 2026
6. Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons
With well over 2,000 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025, Bijan Robinson was a true weapon on offense for the Atlanta Falcons, not just a running back. If the MVP-quarterback streak ends, Robinson would be the one to do it.
He's one of the more dynamic players we've seen in the NFL in quite some time, and he's really only gotten more productive as his career as progressed. If Atlanta gets competent quarterback play in 2026, Robinson could continue to rack up the yardage, and it would at least be impossible to not include him as a finalist.
6. Bo Nix, QB, Denver Broncos
Bo Nix is an interesting player, but he's now surrounded by a ton of talent, including the best offensive line in the NFL, a running back room that is suddenly spilling over with talent, and a wide receiver room that saw Jaylen Waddle come into the mix.
Nix's statistical output has been dragged down due to the Broncos struggling with drops, but adding Waddle to the mix is going to make everyone's life easier, and rookie running back Jonah Coleman could have a bigger impact in the backfield than you think.
5. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence ended the 2025 season as an MVP candidate for the Jacksonville Jaguars, so he got into the conversation. If Lawrence can build on how he ended the 2025 campaign, he could sustain a full MVP-caliber season for 2026. Losing Travis Etienne in free agency does hurt, but Lawrence may finally have some stability for the first time in his career.
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