NFL: Rams’ Matthew Stafford named MVP over Patriots’ Drake Maye

Matthew Stafford has been named NFL Most Valuable Player and confirmed he will return for another season with the Los Angeles Rams.

The 37-year-old edged New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye in one of the closest MVP races in league history before using his acceptance speech to announce he is not retiring.

Stafford received 24 of 50 first-place votes in balloting by a nationwide panel of media members and finished with 366 points.

Maye collected 23 first-place votes and ended on 361, making it the tightest race since Peyton Manning and Steve McNair were named joint winners in 2003.

In his 17th NFL season, Stafford became the oldest player at the time of his first MVP award and the third-oldest winner overall, behind Tom Brady in 2017 and Aaron Rodgers in 2021.

Stafford led the NFL during the regular season with 4,707 passing yards and a career-high 46 touchdown passes, while throwing just eight interceptions. He was named an AP first-team All-Pro for the first time in his career.

The Rams finished the regular season 12-5, second in the NFC West, and secured the fifth seed in the NFC. Stafford became the first MVP winner from a team outside the top two seeds since Adrian Peterson in 2012.

Stafford accepted the award at the NFL Honours show alongside his four daughters, who joined him on stage. Thanking his family, he said: “You’re unbelievable cheerleaders for me. I appreciate it. I am so happy to have you at the games on the sideline with me, and I can’t wait for you to cheer me on next year when we’re out there kicking ass.”

The comments confirmed Stafford will return for an 18th NFL season after speculation about his future following the Rams’ defeat to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game. He later added: “I’ll see you guys next year. Hopefully, I’m not at this event and we’re getting ready for another game at SoFi.”

Despite missing out on the award, Maye enjoyed a standout second season with the Patriots. The 23-year-old led New England to a 14-3 record, the AFC East title and the second seed in the AFC, with the Patriots set to face the Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Maye led the NFL in passer rating, completion percentage and yards per attempt, throwing for 4,394 yards with 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also became the youngest player since the AFL-NFL merger to lead the league in completion percentage, surpassing the previous mark held by Joe Montana.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, the 2024 MVP, finished third in the voting with two first-place votes, followed by San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert received one first-place vote.