Tom Brady is considered the greatest football player who has ever lived.
As part of the New England Patriots, he led them to an astonishing six Super Bowl championships. After building one of the finest dynasties in NFL history, Brady then moved to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and won another title on his own, cementing his legacy as the world’s strongest quarterback.
Over his illustrious career, he won three MVP awards. If there was any player to decide who is the best QB in the league for a season, it would be Brady, who is now a Fox broadcaster and co-owner of the Las Vegas Raiders.
This season has been defined by two signal callers: one old, one young.
Matthew Stafford, 37, had the best season of his incredible career with head coach Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams. He threw for 46 touchdowns, only eight interceptions, and led the league in passing yards. Although his team didn’t win the division, this year’s NFC West will go down as one of the best in NFL history, as all three of the top NFC records came from it.
On the other side, the kid trying to rebuild the fallen empire Brady left in his wake: Drake Maye. The sophomore QB is surgical, unlike anyone else in the league, and turned a solid first season into an unbelievable second year. When it comes to pure efficiency, there is no one better.
More news: Travis Kelce Urged to Make Call on NFL Future as Chiefs Await Clarity
More news: Matthew Stafford’s Ice-Cold Words to Rams Before Comeback Win vs Panthers
So when asked which of the two, Brady, would choose as MVP, he cast his unofficial vote for the man he went to war with countless times during his NFL career, not his Patriots successor.
“Both had incredible years,” he said on “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd earlier in the week. “But I just see Matthew Stafford as a Hall of Fame-level quarterback who has played his best season of football.”
On Saturday, it was announced that Stafford was picked as the 1st Team All-Pro for the season, with 31 first-place votes to Maye’s 18. While generally indicative of who will win the MVP, since the voters are the same, this was not the case last year, when Lamar Jackson won All-Pro honors while Josh Allen won the MVP.
The MVP award will be announced on Feb. 5, 2026, the Thursday before the Super Bowl.
