The NFL MVP candidates and race for the 2025–26 season is finally taking real shape as we head into Week 12, and the field looks clearer than it has at any point this year. The early-season noise is gone. The preseason hype names have faded. And what’s left is a group of players who are actually carrying their franchises, putting up elite production, and keeping their teams firmly in the NFL playoff picture.
This isn’t about fantasy projections or viral highlights, this is about the quarterbacks and playmakers who have delivered every single week and now sit at the center of the 2025–26 NFL MVP conversation. With injuries, schedules, and late-season momentum all starting to matter, these are the 10 true MVP candidates shaping the league right now. This is the real field, the one Vegas, analysts, and voters are aligned on.
MVP Candidates for the 2025–26 NFL Season
1. Matthew Stafford — QB, Los Angeles Rams
Stafford sits at or near the top of every sportsbook’s MVP board for a reason. The Rams offense is rolling, he’s playing efficient and aggressive football, and Los Angeles looks like a legitimate NFC force again. The numbers, the consistency, and the team success all line up. At this point in the season, he’s the favorite.
2. Drake Maye — QB, New England Patriots
Maye isn’t the top name, but he’s absolutely a real candidate. The Patriots’ offense finally looks functional again because of him, and the team is winning enough to keep him firmly in the race. His development curve is fast, his decision-making is improving every week, and he’s stacking meaningful games. If New England stays hot, he climbs.
3. Josh Allen — QB, Buffalo Bills
The reigning MVP is still a fixture in the race. Allen is producing at a high level again — big throws, big moments, and the rushing impact nobody else can replicate. The Bills rely on him more than any contender relies on their quarterback, and voters notice that. If Buffalo finishes strong, Allen could easily repeat.
4. Jonathan Taylor — RB, Indianapolis Colts
Taylor is the only non-QB with a legitimate MVP pathway right now, and it’s because he’s playing like the best running back in football again. He’s putting up top-tier yardage, carrying the Colts offense, and producing in key situations. A running back winning MVP is rare, but Taylor’s season is rare too.
5. Joe Burrow — QB, Cincinnati Bengals
Burrow looks fully healthy and fully locked in. The Bengals offense has rhythm again, and Burrow’s accuracy and command have been elite this season. He needs Cincinnati to stack wins to close the gap on Stafford and Allen, but the individual performance is MVP-caliber.
6. Patrick Mahomes — QB, Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs aren’t as dominant as past seasons, but Mahomes is still the most dangerous quarterback in football. Even in an uneven year, his ability to take over games keeps him in the top 10. If Kansas City heats up late — which they always do — he rises back toward the top.
7. Jordan Love — QB, Green Bay Packers
Love has been one of the biggest jump-forward stories of the season. Green Bay’s offense finally looks explosive again, and Love has cleaned up the parts of his game that held him back a year ago. If the Packers stay in NFC contention, he becomes a serious dark-horse threat.
8. C.J. Stroud — QB, Houston Texans
Stroud is no longer a “young promising QB.” He’s a top-tier quarterback leading a legitimate playoff team. His accuracy, pacing, and situational poise remain elite. As long as Houston stays in the postseason picture, Stroud stays in the MVP picture.
9. Christian McCaffrey — RB, San Francisco 49ers
McCaffrey leads the NFL in scrimmage yards again and remains San Francisco’s most valuable player. The only reason he isn’t higher is simple: the 49ers haven’t dominated this season the way they did last year. Still, his production is too big to ignore.
10. Dak Prescott — QB, Dallas Cowboys
Prescott quietly puts together one of the cleanest, most efficient quarterback seasons every year. This season is no different. Dallas is winning, he’s playing smart football, and the consistency keeps him in the top-tier conversation. He’s not the favorite, but he’s legitimately in the top 10.
As the 2025–26 NFL season pushes deeper into the winter schedule, the MVP race is only going to tighten. Strength of schedule, prime-time performances, and late-game execution will start separating the real candidates from the ones hanging on the fringe.
With multiple contenders still battling for playoff seeding across the AFC and NFC, every throw, every drive, and every week from here forward directly impacts the shape of the NFL MVP leaderboard. Momentum matters, narrative matters, and so do statement games, especially as teams jockey for control in December. Fans, bettors, and analysts will be watching closely as elite quarterbacks and top-tier playmakers continue making their case for the league’s most prestigious individual award.
Looking ahead to the final stretch of the 2025–26 NFL regular season, expect the MVP conversation to evolve rapidly. Injuries, weather games, divisional matchups, and late-season surges always redefine the race. A single breakout performance can launch a player into the spotlight, and one bad game can send another crashing out of contention.
The only guarantee heading into Week 12 and beyond is that the league’s biggest stars will continue pushing the limits of what’s possible on the field. Whether it’s a veteran quarterback reclaiming the throne or a new face breaking into elite territory, the closing weeks of the season will determine who ultimately emerges as the frontrunner for the 2025–26 NFL MVP award.
