8. Bo Nix, Denver Broncos
Bo Nix seems to come through when his team needs him to the most, as the Denver Broncos are 13-3 for a reason. Nix isn't the best QB in the NFL, but he's been a winner ever since stepping into the NFL and could help the Broncos earn the AFC's top playoff seed.
7. Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers
Justin Herbert has been sacked over 50 times this year and won't play in Week 18, which is the right move. Herbert is 0-2 in the playoffs in his career, and with how poorly built the LA Chargers are, an 0-3 start could be realistic.
6. Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars have been heating up as of late and could carry this momentum into the postseason. The addition of Jakobi Meyers has really thrown this offense into a new direction. Lawrence has also been on fire over the last month and a half.
5. Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers are locked into the no. 7 seed. Jordan Love has been playing some great football this year, but it feels like this is going to be another season where the Packers are an early exit.
4. Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Drake Maye has taken a lot of sacks and has fumbled eight times, but his season has been MVP-worthy to an extent. I do worry about how this team performs in the playoffs, but top QB play is something that can cut through a lot, so the Pats have a chance.
3. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen is the reigning MVP and is definitely having to carry more of the load this year, but he's one of a small handful of quarterbacks who can do that in this league. Allen's Bills will now have to go on the road in the playoffs this year.
2. Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy has been heating up in recent weeks. Already with six games of playoff experience and a start in the Super Bowl, Purdy has been there and (almost) done that with the San Francisco 49ers, who have already doubled their regular season win total from the 2024 NFL Season and are still in contention for the NFC's top seed.
1. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
It's hard to find a notable flaw in Matthew Stafford's game right now, and you really can't let a shakt Week 17 performance take away from the big picture. For about 90% of the season, Stafford has been on another level and should still win the MVP this year. He also helped lead the LA Rams to the Super Bowl in 2021, so another run could be on the horizon.