Matthew Stafford just barely snatched the 2025 NFL MVP, beating Drake Maye by a razor-thin single first-place vote and just five total points. Yeah, you read that right. One. Vote. Now, as the 2026 season kicks off, everyone’s already looking ahead, sizing up who’s gonna reign supreme for the league’s top individual prize. The odds are out from bet365 Sportsbook as of September 8, and let’s just say, the frontrunners have some serious history.
The MVP Heavyweights: Allen and Jackson Are Coming For It
Leading the pack for 2026 MVP honors is Josh Allen, sitting at +550. This guy’s already got one MVP trophy in his case, winning in 2024 with 27 first-place votes over Lamar Jackson’s 22. That year, Allen was slinging it for 3,731 yards and 28 touchdowns, plus he added 12 rushing scores. But here’s the kicker: after finishing third in 2025 MVP voting with just two first-place votes, his 2025 season had some wild swings. He completed a career-high 69.3% of his passes, which is awesome, but he also got sacked a career-high 40 times. Forty! That’s gotta be a focus for him this year.
Then there’s Lamar Jackson at +800, a two-time MVP himself. He went unanimous in 2019, joining Tom Brady as the only players to do that. He snagged another MVP in 2023, with 49 of 50 first-place votes. Remember that one voter who picked Allen over Jackson in 2023, even with Allen tossing 18 interceptions in an 11-6 season? Wild. Jackson’s looking to bounce back hard after an injury-riddled 2025 where he played only 13 games, throwing 21 touchdowns and seven picks. Compare that to his 2024 monster year: 41 touchdowns and only four interceptions across 17 games. If he stays healthy, you know he’s a threat.
The Challengers: Burrow’s Hunt For A First-Place Vote and Herbert’s New Crew
Joe Burrow, currently at +900, is one of the most talented QBs in the league, but get this: he’s *never* received a first-place MVP vote. Seriously, not one. Injuries have definitely played a role, with him missing six or more games in three of his six professional seasons. He finished fourth in MVP voting in both 2022 and 2024. Last season, he only played eight games, completing 66.8% of his passes with 17 touchdowns and five picks. If he can stay on the field, that first-place vote has to be coming, right?
Justin Herbert, at +1000, actually snagged one first-place MVP vote in 2025, which, in a way, helped decide Stafford’s win. He’s getting his All-Pro offensive tackles back from injury in 2026, plus Mike McDaniel as his offensive coordinator. That’s a huge boost. However, he nearly matched his career-high in interceptions last year, throwing 13 in 16 games, just shy of his 15 in 2021. And finally, Drake Maye, also at +1000, almost won it all last season, getting 23 first-place votes. Pundits debated his win against Stafford because of his team’s strength of schedule and his individual postseason performance against top defenses, but hey, it’s a regular-season award!
This 2026 MVP race is already looking like a battle for the ages. With the season just getting started, you know every snap, every drive, every single play is going to matter for these guys. Will Allen shake off those sacks and reclaim his crown? Can Jackson stay healthy and replicate his 2024 magic? Will Burrow finally get that elusive first-place vote? Get ready, because this MVP race is gonna be intense from Week 1.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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