In a possible prelude of what’s to come, Matthew Stafford named 2025 PFWA MVP

Matthew Stafford didn’t just author an MVP-caliber season in 2025, he officially carved his name into the quiet, respected ledger that football lifers trust most. 

The Los Angeles Rams quarterback was named the 2025 PFWA Most Valuable Player Award on Wednesday afternoon, an honor voted on by the Professional Football Writers of America. 

Around league circles, the award carries weight because it comes from those that live inside the game every single Sunday, charting its truths snap by snap. 

The PFWA MVP award has predicted the NFL MVP every season except last year. AP

Oftentimes, the award is a preview of what’s to come.

Since 2004, the PFWA MVP voting has predicted the winner of the NFL MVP every single season except for last season when voters just narrowly selected Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson as the PFWA MVP recipient over Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen. Allen went on to win the NFL MVP. 

In most circles, Stafford and New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, are considered the top two favorites for the award this season, which will be announced in two weeks at the NFL Honors Ceremony in San Francisco. 

At 37, in his 17th NFL season, Stafford delivered a masterclass in precision and command.

He led the NFL in passing yards (4,707) and touchdown passes (46), rewriting Rams history while doing it. His eight interceptions felt almost mythical given the volume, the difficulty, the trust required to keep pushing the ball downfield. There were nine games with three or more touchdowns and no interceptions — as Stafford went over two months without a mistake, throwing 318 consecutive passes over that span, including an NFL record 28 touchdown passes without an interception. 

The Rams play caller led the NFL in passing yards and touchdown passes. Getty Images

This is Stafford’s first PFWA MVP, the 52nd in the award’s history, and the fourth for the Rams franchise, joining the legacies of Kurt Warner and Marshall Faulk. It also continues the league’s long-running truth: quarterbacks shape eras.

Other PFWA award winners announced on Wednesday were Seattle Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba for 2025 Offensive Player of the Year, and Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett for 2025 Defensive Player of the Year.