There's just one week left in the NFL regular season, and the MVP is still up for grabs. Both No. 1 seeds are available, and that means starters will be out and playing in the final contests.
That will include the top contenders in the MVP race, which have turned out to be all quarterbacks. Position players like Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor and Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett saw their odds of winning the prestigious award unreasonably balloon weeks ago despite putting up insane stats.
So how do this year's MVP candidates stack up with just one weekend remaining to show up and show voters why they deserve it?
5. Justin Herbert, QB, Los Angeles Chargers
The sixth-year veteran has done an admirable job leading the Chargers to a finish in the AFC West division ahead of the dreaded Kansas City Chiefs for the first time since 2012. While they did not claim the division crown, Herbert himself has proved to be one of the most consistent quarterbacks in the league.
His 3,727 passing yards are good for eighth-most leaguewide and his 26 touchdowns fifth-most. Though what's holding his MVP candidacy back from climbing any higher is his 13 interceptions, the second-most he's thrown in a single campaign in his career. Given how strong competition has gotten in the league, he may need to reproduce his 5,014-yard season from 2021 to garner proper attention.
4. Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars
Similarly to Herbert, Lawrence has taken a team that has been stuck in mediocrity for some time and turned them into mild contenders. The Clemson product's 3,752 passing yards are just ahead of Herbert's and they match on touchdown throws.
What gives Lawrence the edge here is the true test of the MVP race. If you remove him the Jaguars then the team has absolutely no chance of playing to the level of playoff contender that it has this year. His 263-yard, two rushing TD effort in the Jags' comeback 23-17 win over the Colts on Sunday is just exhibit A in that argument.
3. Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills
Despite the Bills' disappointing 13-12 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Allen quite literally did it all himself. He threw for 262 yards, ran for a score and tossed another one that would've tied the game had the Bills kicked the extra point. Instead they went for two and Allen overthrew his wide open receiver.
Those kind of mistakes have been more frequent than usual for the reigning MVP and for that reason he's likely not going to repeat. However, his 3,406 passing yards and 37 total touchdowns are nothing to scoff at. That's why he's the first guy outside the final contenders this year.
2. Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams
Stafford may have done enough during the Rams' other 15 games to convince voters to hand him his first ever MVP award but for those that were still undecided, Week 17 was a frightening reality check. The 37-year-old was picked off three times by the Atlanta Falcons in Los Angeles' 27-24 loss on Monday Night Football, including a 34-yard pick six.
Though Stafford's 4,448 passing yards (second-best in the league) are nothing to sneeze at. He's also the only QB this year to reach 40 TD passes so far. Monday night's performance was certainly forgettable but voters should really be focusing on his trio of 300+ yard games and only two contests where he failed to find the endzone multiple times.
1. Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots
The 2024 No. 2 overall pick is certainly living up to the hype he received exiting college. Maye is one of only four QBs this year with 4,000+ passing yards and his 71.7 completion percentage is the best among starters. He tore up the New York Jets defense on Sunday for 256 yards and five touchdowns like it was preseason.
Granted, that performance was against one of the worst teams in the league but he also put up almost 400 yards against a Baltimore Ravens defense that has surged late in the year. Maye only had one game where he completed less than 60 percent of his passes this season. That's insane on its own. Plus he has the Patriots in contention for the No. 1 seed in the AFC for the first time since Tom Brady was under center. Voters will have a lot to consider between Maye and Stafford but the youngster seems to have the edge in my book.