Before the Kansas City Chiefs were defeated by the Buffalo Bills in Week 9, some had quarterback Patrick Mahomes leading the 2025 NFL MVP voting. If that were truly the case, what a difference a week can make.
Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer published a midseason MVP poll of NFL executives on November 7, and Mahomes was way behind frontrunner Matthew Stafford in the early Most Valuable Player voting.
The Los Angeles Rams quarterback, Stafford, leads the current MVP conversation with 13 votes out of a possible 42 — per Breer. Bills superstar Josh Allen was next with 8 votes, and behind him were Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (5 votes) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers signal-caller Baker Mayfield (4 votes).
Mahomes finally checked in next, tied with Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert. Both AFC West superstars were awarded 3 MVP votes.
“Quietly, Stafford is having an off-the-charts year,” Breer wrote, providing some analysis. “He’s on pace for 4,562 yards and a 45–4 TD-INT ratio, and the Rams are tied for first in the NFC West. He has been incredibly efficient (113.2 rating) and consistent (a 98-or-better rating in seven of eight games), while facing a challenging schedule (the Rams faced the Eagles, Colts, 49ers and Ravens in succession) in a rugged division.”
“Now, this can be a storyline award, and Stafford may lack one that’s new or different for voters to latch onto,” Breer continued. “But if you want a quarterback who runs an offense at an incredibly high level, while rarely missing a throw, Stafford’s your guy.”
The aforementioned Taylor led Breer’s midseason Offensive Player of the Year poll with 27.5 votes out of a possible 42. This award typically goes to the most impactful non-QB.
Who Participated in Breer’s NFL MVP Voting?
Although this poll was anonymous, Breer did explain who participated in a general sense.
“Rather than just filling out a ballot on my own (I’ll do that for the AP in January), in midseason every year, in this space, I poll NFL general managers, VPs, directors of player personnel and directors of pro scouting to try to get their take on who should win what,” Breer noted.
Adding: “This year, we wound up with a panel of 42 voters, and a wide-open race for MVP. An eye-opening 10 different players received votes. After the votes were tallied, Stafford was the winner. He finished five votes clear of Josh Allen, and had more than double the votes of every candidate below that.”
Patrick Mahomes Was Awarded the Honor of Chiefs’ Midseason MVP Amid Bye Week News
GettyKansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Mahomes may not be leading the pack for NFL MVP, but he did earn the Chiefs’ midseason honor, according to the opinion of the KC Star.
In an article on November 7, columnist Blair Kerkhoff relayed that their five Chiefs-centric staff members unanimously voted Mahomes as the midseason MVP.
“Last season, the Chiefs’ offense operated without its expected firepower,” Kerkhoff stated. “[Wide receiver Rashee] Rice was lost in the fourth game. Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown was injured in the first preseason game and missed most of the season. Running back Isiah Pacheco was injured in Week 2 and missed several games. Plus, there was a revolving door at left tackle.”
“Most of the Chiefs’ top threats have returned this season and the offensive line is in better shape,” he wrote on. “That’s made a difference in Mahomes’ performance this season. He’s back among league leaders in passing yards and touchdowns. It hasn’t been a perfect season for Mahomes, whose poor decision resulted in a game-changing 99-yard pick-six in the loss at Jacksonville. And the offense took a step back at Buffalo. But Mahomes is on pace to have his best season since 2022, when he won his second MVP.”
“With the Chiefs currently on the outside of the playoff bracket — they need him to summon the skills that have made him a generational talent,” Kerkhoff concluded. “A record-matching 10th consecutive division title and 11th straight playoff berth are on the line for the Chiefs. It’s time for Mahomes and the playmakers to step up.”
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