Matthew Stafford Edges Drake Maye for Closest NFL MVP Vote in 22 Years

Justin Herbert's surprise first-place vote adds an odd twist to Stafford's narrow victory over Maye.

Feb. 6, 2026 at 12:15am by Ben Kaplan

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams narrowly beat out Drake Maye of the New England Patriots for the 2026 NFL MVP award, winning 24-23 in the closest MVP race in 22 years. However, the vote was made more controversial by the fact that one voter inexplicably gave their first-place vote to Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers, who was not even a finalist for the award.

Why it matters

The close margin between Stafford and Maye, as well as the unexpected Herbert vote, highlight the highly competitive and subjective nature of the NFL MVP award. The vote also raises questions about the criteria voters use to determine the league's most valuable player.

The details

Stafford edged out Maye by a single first-place vote, 24-23, marking the closest MVP race since 2003 when Peyton Manning and Steve McNair tied. While 47 of the 50 AP voters split their first-place votes between Stafford and Maye, two voters gave their top nod to Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, who had won the award the previous year. But one voter, former Pro Football Focus analyst Sam Monson, inexplicably gave his first-place vote to Justin Herbert of the Chargers, who was not even a finalist for the award.

  • The 2026 NFL MVP award was announced on Thursday, February 6, 2026.
  • The last time the NFL had co-MVPs was in 2003, when Peyton Manning and Steve McNair tied 16-16 in the voting.

The players

Matthew Stafford

The veteran quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams, who won the 2026 NFL MVP award by the narrowest margin in 22 years.

Drake Maye

The young quarterback of the New England Patriots, who finished second in the 2026 NFL MVP voting by just one first-place vote.

Justin Herbert

The quarterback of the Los Angeles Chargers, who received an unexpected first-place vote for the 2026 NFL MVP award despite not being a finalist.

Sam Monson

The former Pro Football Focus analyst who revealed that he was the voter who gave his first-place MVP vote to Justin Herbert.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I was the Justin Herbert vote. The guy had the worst offensive line in the NFL all season and despite that he was working miracles in almost every single game. Stafford's OL became 2/5ths as bad as Herbert's for 5 minutes and he became a turnover howitzer. He embodied 'value'.”

— Sam Monson, Former Pro Football Focus Analyst

What’s next

The Associated Press is expected to reveal how all 50 voters ranked their top five MVP candidates from first to fifth on Friday.

The takeaway

The close 2026 NFL MVP vote between Matthew Stafford and Drake Maye, as well as the surprising first-place vote for Justin Herbert, highlight the subjective and highly debated nature of the league's most prestigious individual award. The vote will likely spark further discussion about the criteria and process used to determine the NFL's most valuable player.