A quarterback has won the MVP award each year since the 2013 NFL Season, which was Peyton Manning's record-setting year with the Denver Broncos. At this point, it's hard to envision how QB does not win the award in 2026, but you never know.
With preseason games officially beginning this week, real football is right on the horizon, and with that comes a ton of things to talk about, and the MVP stepladder as the season progresses is absolutely one of those things.
Let's get into our first MVP stepladder power rankings with the preseason ramping up shortly. We're simply going to rank who we believe to be the most likely MVP winners this year, and as the season begins and progresses, these rankings will obviously look a bit different.
First MVP stepladder power rankings for the 2026 NFL Season
8. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes won the MVP award two times, once in 2018 and once four years later in 2022. Well, four years later is 2026, so could Mahomes keep this pattern up? He sure could, and part of me really doesn't want to put him in this ranking, as he hasn't played close to an MVP level since that season. The Kansas City Chiefs also have some serious personnel concerns that I believe could contribute to Mahomes not winning the award, but to a degree, he and the Chiefs have earned the benefit of the doubt.
7. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
With the Dallas Cowboys revamping the defensive side of the ball this offseason, this could be the best, most balanced team that Dak Prescott has played on in his career. He's a winning quarterback with high-end passing ability, so I'm not sure why he'd wouldn't be able to win this award. Prescott is no stranger to big numbers, and if the Cowboys can win the NFC East this year, Prescott would surely get some looks.
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