Matthew Stafford wins NFL MVP in survey, but rival wins OPOY

The Los Angeles Rams looked unstoppable against a strong Seattle Seahawks defense on Thursday Night Football. LA took a 16-point lead deep into the fourth quarter of the Week 16 divisional clash. But the Seahawks mounted an incredible comeback and won the game in overtime.

Matthew Stafford balled out in a losing effort. The veteran quarterback threw for 457 yards and three touchdowns against Seattle. And while the Rams lost 38-37, falling behind the Seahawks in the NFC West standings, Stafford is still the frontrunner for MVP honors.

In a survey of 30 NFL executives, the Rams’ signal caller was the top vote-getter, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com. Stafford received 18 of 30 votes for MVP in the early awards survey. He easily beat out Drake Maye, who finished second with five votes. Josh Allen (four), Myles Garrett (2) and Justin Herbert (1) rounded out the field.

Stafford, Smith-Njigba top survey with standout seasons

However, for Offensive Player of the Year, the same group of executives selected Stafford’s division rival Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Seahawks’ wideout received 15 of 30 OPoY votes in the survey. Stafford finished second in the category with six votes. Allen and Bijan Robinson each got two. And Maye, James Cook, Sam Darnold, Puka Nacua and Jonathan Taylor all received one vote.

Stafford is widely considered the favorite to win 2025 MVP as he leads the league in passing yards (4,179), passer rating (112.1) and touchdowns (40). The Rams QB has only thrown five interceptions in 15 games this season while completing 65.7 percent of his passes.

Stafford helped the Rams clinch a playoff berth for the fourth time in his five seasons with Los Angeles. However, the Seahawks took a one-game lead in the NFC West with their Week 16 overtime victory. Now Seattle can take the division crown and secure the No.1 seed by winning its final two matchups.

Smith-Njigba was a major factor in Thursday night’s epic comeback. The third-year wideout had eight receptions for 96 yards and a touchdown against the Rams. Smith-Njigba is in the midst of a historic season. He leads the NFL with 1,637 receiving yards and set new career-high marks with 104 receptions and 10 touchdowns.

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