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Week 9 of the 2025 NFL season is in the books, and we\u2019re starting to see real separation between contenders and pretenders \u2014 not just among teams, but among MVP hopefuls. After a week filled with upsets, quarterback duels, and standout performances, here are your top five NFL MVP candidates heading into Week 10.<\/p>\n
The NFL MVP award has long been quarterback-dominated, which means any non-QB candidate simply can\u2019t afford an off day. Unfortunately for the Colts, Jonathan Taylor had his first real stumble of the season in their loss to the Steelers, averaging fewer than 3.5 yards per carry for the first time this year.<\/p>\n
Even so, Taylor\u2019s overall numbers remain outstanding. Much like Saquon Barkley a year ago, he\u2019s been the driving force behind the AFC\u2019s top seed. With a tougher schedule ahead, Indianapolis will need Taylor at a true MVP level<\/a> to keep its momentum alive through the second half of the season.<\/p>\n The reigning favorite took a massive hit in Week 9, being outdueled by Josh Allen in another regular-season meeting between the two stars. Mahomes had his first career game with more incompletions than completions, snapping a historic streak and denting his season averages.<\/p>\n The bye week comes at the perfect time for both Mahomes and the Chiefs. Their schedule only gets tougher from here, and their margin for error has vanished. Still, if there\u2019s one player capable of rallying from adversity and rewriting the narrative, it\u2019s Mahomes<\/a>.<\/p>\n After a dominant performance against Mahomes and the Chiefs, in which he recorded as many total touchdowns as incompletions, Josh Allen is firmly back in the MVP race and has reclaimed his spot as a betting favorite to repeat.<\/p>\n The past two weeks have shown a return to form after early-season struggles with turnovers and sacks. Allen\u2019s chemistry with James Cook has revitalized Buffalo\u2019s offense, and if he continues to play at this level, the Bills will once again be a major postseason threat \u2014 and Allen will have every chance to go back-to-back<\/a>.<\/p>\n We\u2019re past the point of calling Drake Maye\u2019s run a hot streak as the Patriots’ sophomore is simply playing like a top-five quarterback in the NFL. What makes his emergence even more impressive is that he\u2019s doing it with a roster still under construction and without the elite weapons most MVP candidates enjoy.<\/p>\n Maye delivered yet another multi-touchdown, 100+ passer rating performance in a narrow win over the Atlanta Falcons. If he leads New England to its first division title since the Tom Brady era, he won\u2019t just be a great story \u2014 he\u2019ll be a legitimate MVP front-runner<\/a>.<\/p>\n4. Patrick Mahomes<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Josh Allen<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Drake Maye<\/strong><\/h3>\n
1. Matthew Stafford<\/strong><\/h3>\n