NFL MVP tracker: Huge games from Matthew Stafford and Jonathan Taylor blow the race wide open

Week 10 of the 2025 NFL season shook up the awards race, with several stars putting on performances that could reshape the awards landscape.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor dominated in Berlin, strengthening his case to become the first non-quarterback to win MVP since Adrian Peterson in 2012.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles Rams gunslinger Matthew Stafford lit up the 49ers to keep Detroit’s offense humming, and New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye bolstered his résumé by steering his side to their seventh consecutive victory.

Those show-stopping efforts reignited the debate around who could take home the MVP, Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, and every other major award up for grabs.

Here’s our latest look at how the race for the NFL’s top individual awards is shaping up heading into Week 11.

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Most Valuable Player (MVP)

1. Matthew Stafford, QB - Los Angeles Rams
2. Drake Maye, QB - New England Patriots
3. Jonathan Taylor, RB - Indianapolis Colts
4. Patrick Mahomes, QB - Kansas City Chiefs
5. Josh Allen, QB - Buffalo Bills

Stafford continued his assault on the MVP race and opposing secondaries, dissecting the San Francisco 49ers to the tune of 280 yards and four touchdowns.

With 25 passing touchdowns, 13 of which have come in just the last three games, the 37-year-old is now five clear of his nearest competitor.

Maye's Week 10 stat line doesn't match Stafford's, but it was yet another solid display, and the kind that has helped the Patriots match the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts for the most wins this year, with eight.

Compared to every other back in the league, Taylor’s in a league of his own. He has a clear lead over every other tailback in rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and also claimed the longest run of the season with that 83-yard scamper in Berlin.

Allen's performance this weekend wasn't bad, but the Bills' loss to the Dolphins hurts his stock. If Mahomes and Allen aren't careful, Jared Goff or Sam Darnold could chase them down.

Offensive Player of the Year (OPOY)

1. Jonathan Taylor, RB - Indianapolis Colts
2. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR - Seattle Seahawks
3. Puka Nacua, WR - Los Angeles Rams
4. Christian McCaffrey, RB - San Francisco 49ers
5. Ja'Marr Chase, WR - Cincinnati Bengals

If Taylor doesn't win the MVP, he's a shoe-in to take home the OPOY award. Smith-Njigba continued to push him hard with another excellent game, but it's still no comparison to what the Colts' running back has done this year.

Nacua hasn't been quite as dominant pre-injury, but as Stafford's favourite outlet, the numbers - and touchdowns - keep piling up.

There's not much to choose between the chasing pack. McCaffrey continued to thrive as a pass catcher despite being bottled up on the ground. Chase was on a bye, and James Cook didn't find a lot of room against the Dolphins' defense.

Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY)

1. Myles Garrett, EDGE - Cleveland Browns
2. Micah Parsons, EDGE - Green Bay Packers
3. Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE - Detroit Lions
4. Nik Bonitto, EDGE - Denver Broncos
5. Will Anderson, EDGE - Houston Texans

Garrett added to his sack tally against the Jets, tightening his grip on the lead after Parsons failed to take down Eagles' quarterback Jalen Hurts on Monday Night Football.

His former teammate, Joe Haden, believes Garrett deserves to take home the award.

Hutchinson was unusually quiet in the Lions' win over the Commanders, allowing Bonitto (1.5 sacks) and Anderson (1 sack) to close the gap.

Offensive Rookie of the Year (OROY)

1. Jaxson Dart, QB - New York Giants
2. Emeka Egbuka, WR - Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3. Tyler Warren, TE - Indianapolis Colts
4. Quinshon Judkins, RB - Cleveland Browns
5. Tetairoa McMillan, WR - Carolina Panthers

Dart held his own against the Bears, but Emeka Egbuka isn't ready to give up on his bid to become OROY, erupting for a 6-113-1 line in the Buccaneers’ loss to New England.

Egbuka's three 100-yard receiving games through the first 10 weeks of a season are tied for the third-most by a rookie since 2016.

The young Tampa Bay receiver wasn't the only Ohio State alum to impress in Week 10.

Time will tell whether Dart’s concussion means he misses time, and if Egbuka can seize the moment.

Tyler Warren made his presence felt yet again, posting a season-high 99 receiving yards and reminding everyone this is not a two-horse race.

Quinshon Judkins once again carried the load for the Browns in their loss to the Jets, but was held well under four yards per carry for the fourth straight week.

Panthers' wideout Tetairoa McMillan holds his spot just ahead of Chargers tight end Oronde Gadsden, who likely would’ve broken into the top five if not for a knee injury that could slow him down.

Ashton Jeanty and Harold Fannin remain outside the top five and are looking over their shoulders as TreVeyon Henderson and Colston Loveland close fast with back-to-back standout performances.

Defensive Rookie of the Year (DROY)

1. Carson Schwesinger, LB - Cleveland Browns
2. Nick Emmanwori, S - Seattle Seahawks
3. Malaki Starks, S - Baltimore Ravens
4. Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE - Dallas Cowboys
5. Jihaad Campbell, LB - Philadelphia Eagles

This race, which was in danger of looking like the most disappointing of them all, became much more interesting with Schwesinger's quicker-than-expected return from injury.

The Browns' linebacker totalled 10 tackles and half a sack against the Jets, catapulting him to the top of the rankings.

Schwesinger's head coach, Kevin Stefanski, endorsed him for the DROY award.

Emmanwori put on a show of his own, racking up nine total tackles and breaking up four passes as the Seahawks took care of business against the Cardinals.

Malaki Starks, with his second interception in as many games, and Donovan Ezeiruaku, now with two sacks over his last three outings, both jumped ahead of Jihaad Campbell, whose role has diminished since the return of Nakobe Dean.

Keen observers will notice this is the first week that Abdul Carter has slipped out of the top five. It’s been coming, with his lone half-sack dating all the way back to Week 1.

Even so, as one of the crown jewels of the 2025 NFL Draft class, a strong late-season push from Carter could vault him right back into the mix.

Coach of the Year

1. Mike Vrabel - New England Patriots
2. Shane Steichen - Indianapolis Colts
3. Mike Macdonald - Seattle Seahawks
4. Ben Johnson - Chicago Bears
5. Sean McVay - Los Angeles Rams

It's tight at the top, where Vrabel edges ahead of Steichen. The Colts bounced back after their Week 9 loss, but the Patriots haven't lost a game since falling to the Steelers in Week 3.

It's easy to knock the Seahawks' schedule, but in a league where upsets occur every week, Macdonald deserves his due for guiding his side to a 7-2 record.

Johnson has steadied the ship in Chicago and, with just three more wins before the end of the season, will achieve the Bears' best record since 2018.

McVay's Rams were supposed to be good, but that's not a reason to rank Kyle Shanahan (49ers), Dan Campbell (Lions), or Sean Payton ahead of him at this point.

Comeback Player of the Year

1. Christian McCaffrey, RB - San Francisco 49ers
2. Dak Prescott, QB - Dallas Cowboys
3. Daniel Jones, QB - New York Giants
4. Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE - Detroit Lions
5. Stefon Diggs, WR - New England Patriots

The oddsmakers may favour McCaffrey and Prescott, but Jones is a real threat. He has not only enjoyed a career resurgence but has also spearheaded the Colts' winning run.

Hutchinson is perhaps the only player outside the top three who could mount a serious challenge for the award at this late stage.

Final thoughts

In almost every case, the award story is far from written. The coming weeks are stacked with heavyweight matchups that could shake up the entire awards picture.

These rankings won’t stay still for long, so keep checking back each week to see who’s climbing, who’s slipping, and how the award races are taking shape.