3. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence has been heating up in recent weeks. He won't win the MVP this year, but he should get some votes. The 12-4 Jaguars are on the cusp of winning the AFC South, and there is still an outside chance that they earn the no. 1 seed for the AFC playoffs. With how well Lawrence has played over the last month and a half, the 2026 season could truly be where it all comes together for the QB.
2. Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots
Drake Maye has been very good this year and is someone who is going to finish no worse than second place in the MVP voting. Maye could still win the award, as he's had an insane seson for the New England Patriots and has consistently been a top-4 QB all year.
Maye played a lot better in his rookie season than people think, and we're seeing that continue and develop into 2025. The Patriots are probably still a year early in terms of making a playoff run, as the roster talent overall isn't all that special, but Maye has been the main reason why the Patriots are 13-3 thus far.
1. Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams
I still think we have to take a big picture look at the season for Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams. Stafford and the Rams have faced one of the toughest opposing defensive schedules in the NFL, but the New England Patriots and Drake Maye have faced one of the easiest, and this has been a thing with New England all year.
Sure, the Pats are taking care of business, but their schedule has been flat-out easy. The Pats still do have a chance to earn the top seed in the AFC, and that could be the one thing that puts Maye over the edge, but Stafford has been consistently better all year and is the main reason why the LA Rams are in a position to still make a deep run into the playoffs.