Drake Maye was narrowly beaten by Matthew Stafford

The 2025 NFL Honors ceremony crowned an inexhaustible veteran. At the age of 38, Matthew Stafford, quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams, won the NFL's Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

This vote will be remembered as one of the closest in history, with Stafford edging out the Patriots' sensational rookie Drake Maye by a single first-place vote (24 to 23).

This accolade rewards a phenomenal season for Stafford, who succeeds Josh Allen. While rumors of retirement were circulating, the MVP confirmed his return for 2026, buoyed by his outstanding physical condition. For his part, Drake Maye, despite this narrow defeat, will try to console himself on Sunday by leading New England to a Super Bowl title against the Seahawks.

The defense also had its king: Myles Garrett. The Cleveland Browns monster was unanimously voted Defensive Player of the Year. With a new record of 23 quarterback sacks in a season, Garrett enters the record books by receiving all 50 first-place votes.

The Patriots and Christian McCaffrey shine in the awards

The gala was a big night for the New England Patriots organization. Mike Vrabel was named Head Coach of the Year after transforming a 4-win team into a 14-win powerhouse. He becomes one of the few strategists to win this award with two different franchises. His right-hand man, Josh McDaniels, took home the title of Assistant Coach of the Year.

Another highlight of the evening was Christian McCaffrey's crowning as Comeback Player of the Year. After a 2024 season marred by injuries, the 49ers star dominated the league with 2,126 total yards and 17 touchdowns, breaking a 24-year drought for running backs in this category. Finally, among receivers, Jaxon Smith-Njigba was named Offensive Player of the Year thanks to an impressive 1,793 receiving yards.

This content was created with the help of AI.