Congratulations are in order for the San Francisco 49ers’ Christian McCaffrey, as the Associated Press just shortlisted him as a finalist for this NFL season’s MVP award. McCaffrey joins Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Drake Maye of the New England Patriots, and Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams.
If the MVP finalist recognition wasn’t enough for McCaffrey, he’s also been named as a finalist for the Offensive Player of the Year Award and the Comeback Player of the Year Award. Receiving all three nominations in the same year puts McCaffrey in a class all of his own, as he’s the first NFL player in history to do so. Given all the well-deserved attention that McCaffrey is getting, it’s easy to assume the running back is a shoo-in to be named this season’s MVP. However, that may not be the case for two very big reasons.
Trevor Lawrence Helped Turn Around a Losing Franchise
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After a losing 2024 season (4-13), football experts and fans didn’t have the highest of hopes for the Jacksonville Jaguars. While draftee talent certainly prompted naysayers to believe the Jaguars would have a better season in 2025, many people didn’t foresee the team finishing the regular season with a 13-4 record, winning the AFC South, and making this year’s playoffs.
A lot of the team’s success this year should be credited to Lawrence, who, according to ESPN, ended this season with 341 completions, a 60.9% completion percentage, 4,007 yards, and 29 passing touchdowns. All improvements on his numbers last year. His better stats and the team’s upgraded stature in the league make Lawrence a viable threat in the MVP race.
Drake Maye Helped Patriot Nation See Beyond the Belichick Years
When legendary coach Bill Belichick decided to part ways with the Patriots to kick off 2024, he ended 24 years with the organization. Belichick was the identity of the team (both before and after Tom Brady’s run), and there were questions about the team’s ability to reinvent a winning culture. The team ended their first Belichick-free season this decade with a 4-13 record, even missing the playoffs.
However, similar to the Jaguars, the 2025 season for the Patriots has looked drastically different thanks to the quarterback, in this case, Maye. He helped lead the team to finishing 14-3, clinching the AFC East, and as of publication, the team is one game away from the Super Bowl. Maye finished the regular season with 354 completions, a 72% completion rate, and 4394 yards. Now it’s way too early to say Maye and Coach Mie Vrabel have the makings of the next New England super duo, but this year was certainly remarkable.
With all that being said, we all just have to sit back and read analysis for now as we wait for the official announcement of the NFL’s 2025 MVP award on Thursday, February 5.
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