The NFL regular season has come and gone and the MVP award has come down to two players: Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams and Drake Maye of the New England Patriots.
Stafford is the slight betting favorite to win his first MVP, but Maye is deserving as well. Both players have arguments in their favor with Stafford leading the league in passing yards and touchdowns by a wide margin while doing so against the toughest schedule any playoff team has gone against.
Meanwhile, Maye took the Patriots from 4-13 to 14-3 while leading the league in many advanced statistical categories. He did against the easiest schedule this century, but he did not have the help that Stafford did when it comes to coaching and roster.
One prominent person has weighed in on this MVP race and that’s arguably the greatest quarterback of all time in Tom Brady. Even though Brady is a Patriots legend, he is picking Stafford for MVP this season, via FOX:
“I think what Matthew Stafford’s done this season has been absolutely remarkable. Forty-six touchdowns, for any quarterback, that’s a dream season. He’s been spectacular. Drake Maye on the other side has done some incredible things with Josh McDaniels in their first year together. Drake’s got a long career ahead. I’m sure he’s going to have many opportunities. I would say Matthew Stafford.”
Brady and Stafford have always shared a mutual respect as they were two of the last of their kind as pocket passers that control the game at the line of scrimmage.
Stafford got the chance to respond to Brady’s comments on the SiriusXM’s “Let’s Go!” podcast and expressed his appreciation:
“I’m humbled. I obviously have so much respect, like everybody does, for what Tom was able to accomplish in his career and his view of the game and how he sees it,” Stafford said. “He’s got as good an eye as anybody, just from experience and the mind that he has. So I’m humbled to be, I guess, his choice, or whatever you want to say. But I love playing this game. I love being a part of it. I love everything that comes with it. But I love being a part of this team and that’s the coolest part about this whole thing is, you can’t win this award or be part of this conversation without all the guys on your team and I’m lucky to have a bunch of good ones on my squad.”
While Stafford winning MVP would help cement his legacy and Hall of Fame case, his focus is on winning the Super Bowl as individual awards have never been his motivation.
Matthew Stafford ‘humbled’ to be in MVP conversation
It remains to be seen if Stafford will take home the MVP award, but he recently discussed how humbled he feels to even be in the conversation.
“I appreciate it. I also know that whoever gets that award, it’s an unbelievable team accomplishment. I’m not throwing touchdown passes to myself, I surely am not getting open in the slot or any of that stuff. So whoever gets it, it has been for years, it’s such a team and group award. I am obviously humbled to be in the conversation. I have a great respect for all the guys that play this game now, that have played it before me. I’m an NFL fan, I’m in awe of a lot of the people that do what we do. It’s humbling and I do appreciate it.”