Baker Mayfield And Jonathan Taylor Lead The Way

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – OCTOBER 12: Jonathan Taylor #28 of the Indianapolis Colts scores a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during the fourth quarter in the game at Lucas Oil Stadium on October 12, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

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Annual NFL awards are often some of the hottest debated topics in all of sports, with no award getting more scrutiny than the Most Valuable Player (MVP). Every year, there is an argument over what it means to be “most valuable”. Should you only look at stats? Should you think about how a team would be without that player? The arguments never end.

The 2025 NFL season has been one of the more unique years, thus far, from both a team and player performance standpoint. But that doesn’t mean it’s too early to look at who the top NFL MVP candidates are right now.

Before getting into it, it’s important to note that this has nothing to do with betting odds. This is all about watching the performances on the field and how players have looked thus far.

2025 NFL MVP Favorites

1. Baker Mayfield, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Is there any doubt who the best player in football is right now? Baker Mayfield has Tampa Bay at the top of the NFC with a 5-1 record through six games, and continues to show why Cleveland should’ve never let him go.

He may not lead the NFL in any of the traditional stat categories you look for, but what he’s been able to do has been nothing short of impressive. He leads the NFL in comeback victories with four so far, while also having 12 touchdowns and only one interception. The most impressive part, however, is who he’s doing it with.

The Buccaneers offense has been ravaged by injuries, with players like Chris Godwin, Bucky Irving, Mike Evans, and, now, rookie star Emeka Egbuka out hurt. Mayfield has kept his team afloat on offense with players like Sterling Shepard and Rachaad White as his top weapons. While they are good players in their own right, they aren’t at the level of the players missing from the lineup.

If Mayfield is playing this way without all of his offensive weapons, imagine how it’ll be once Tampa Bay gets healthier?

2. Daniel Jones, QB, Indianapolis Colts

Talk about a career resurgence. After many believed his career was over after being released by the New York Giants, Daniel Jones is having a second wind with the Indianapolis Colts. While he’s cooled off a bit since his blistering first couple of weeks, Jones has brought a feeling of stability to the Colts’ lineup.

He has the lowest sack percentage in the league at 2.7% and leads the NFL in passing success rate—how often a passing play hits a specific yardage based on down and distance—at 56.8%.

What might hurt him is the fact that he has just eight passing touchdowns to three interceptions. But he’s been able to add four rushing touchdowns so far this year, and is proving to be the dual threat Indianapolis had hoped Anthony Richardson was going to be.

3. Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts

While what Jones has been doing is impressive in its own right, the other man in the backfield for the Colts can’t be overlooked. Through six weeks, Jonathan Taylor leads the league in rushing yards (603), rushing touchdowns (7), and rushes leading to first downs (29) while also being tied for the lead for most rushes of 40+ yards.

Taylor has been so dominant on the ground that over 25% of his 115 carries, which is the most carries in the league, have picked up a first down for the Colts. He’s been able to keep drives alive and is such a threat that it lets Jones have more time to pick apart defenses.

The Colts seemingly have a two-headed monster in the backfield, and it’s going to be tough to keep them from running away with the AFC South crown in 2025.

4. Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys aren’t leading their division. Hell, they don’t even sit in a playoff spot right now. So why is Dak Prescott a candidate for NFL MVP? It’s simply, really. Without Prescott, the Cowboys are likely right at the bottom of the NFL with the New York Jets.

While the start of the season left a lot to be desired, Prescott has thrown for three or more touchdowns with zero interceptions in each of the last three games. He’s looked calm and poised in the pocket, and has done, for the most part, what he can to put the Cowboys in positions to win games. The problem for him is Dallas’ 32nd-ranked defense.

As a whole, this is one of those instances where stats don’t truly tell the whole story. And what really hurt Prescott here is precedent.

It seems pretty obvious that had the Cincinnati Bengals made the playoffs in 2024, Joe Burrow would’ve been MVP based on the numbers he put up. But when you don’t make the playoffs, it’s kind of hard to give you an award like MVP. In fact, there have been only two players to ever win the award in a year their team didn’t make the postseason: Baltimore Colts QB Johnny Unitas in 1967 and Buffalo Bills RB O.J. Simpson in 1973.

5. Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots

While he may be a long shot compared to the others on this list, Drake Maye is quickly building up a resume worthy of at least being in the discussion.

Not only is the second-year quarterback out of North Carolina well on the way to surpassing all of his rookie numbers, but he has New England back in playoff contention for the first time since 2021. And it’s even better than that. Maye has the Patriots in first place in the AFC East, a division dominated by Buffalo for the last five years, after six weeks.

Of quarterbacks who’ve started four or more games this year, he’s fifth in the league in passing yards (1,522), third in yards per attempt (8.5 yards), fourth in passer rating (112.5), and second in completion percentage (73.2). He’s also just the fourth player under the age of 24 to have 200+ passing yards and a 100+ passer rating in five straight games.

He may not get the love that others on or off this list will get, but if things continue this way, it’s going to be tough to keep Maye out of the conversation.