Oddsmakers don’t expect Drake Maye to fall out of the MVP running in 2026.
Maye finished one first-place vote shy of Matthew Stafford for MVP in a breakout second season for the New England Patriots. The 23-year-old quarterback begins the offseason as a top contender for next year’s award.
FanDuel Sportsbook gives Maye +850 odds to win the AP’s NFL MVP award next season. He only trails 2024 MVP Josh Allen (+600) and two-time MVP Lamar Jackson (+750).
DraftKings Sportsbook also favors Allen (+550) and Jackson (+650), but Maye falls into a four-way tie for third alongside fellow AFC quarterbacks Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes at +1000 each.
Vegas isn’t anticipating a repeat from Matthew Stafford, who’s +1400 on FanDuel and DraftKings. The 38-year-old Los Angeles Rams quarterback confirmed during his NFL Honors acceptance speech that he’ll return next season.
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Maye made a strong case to win MVP by leading the league in completion percentage (72%), yards per attempt (8.9) and quarterback rating (113.5). The former No. 3 pick steered the Patriots to a 13-4 record and their first AFC East title since Tom Brady’s departure.
Voters nevertheless narrowly favored Stafford, who stockpiled 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns. Allen finished third, garnering two first-place votes with 25 passing and 14 rushing touchdowns.
The MVP and AFC races could get a lot more crowded if Jackson, Burrow and Mahomes bounce back in 2026. Oddsmakers have seemingly given up on a non-quarterback winning MVP for the first time since 2012, as 29 passers have the best MVP odds on DraftKings.
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