As the 2025 NFL regular season reaches its climax with just one game remaining, the focus is increasingly shifting toward the playoffs and the race for end-of-year awards, particularly the MVP. For New England Patriots fans, all eyes are on quarterback Drake Maye, who has emerged as the leading contender for the prestigious accolade after Matthew Stafford’s recent loss to the Falcons on Monday Night Football.
Maye’s ascendancy to the top of the MVP conversation has prompted some proponents of Stafford to push back, often hinging their arguments on the perceived weakness of the Patriots’ schedule. This criticism tends to overlook the fact that a player’s value shouldn’t be solely measured by the strength of their opponents—a standard that has rarely been applied in previous MVP discussions.
Despite facing such criticisms, Maye’s accomplishments have garnered significant respect from football analysts, including Hall of Famer Kurt Warner. Warner, who won the MVP award in 1999 and experienced a similar narrative about schedule strength during his career, took to social media to voice his support for Maye. He pointedly noted that using a team’s schedule to discredit a player’s incredible season is an invalid argument, emphasizing that all players face the same scheduling constraints.
Warner’s robust defense of Maye cuts through the noise generated by critics. He argued that every NFL game has its own unique context, and it’s the player’s performance that ultimately defines their value. His perspective reinforces the notion that success should be measured not just by which teams are faced, but by how effectively players compete against whoever is on their schedule.
While some continue to rally for Stafford, the emergence of Maye as a frontrunner for the MVP award is a testament to his skill and potential impact on the playoff picture. Although there may be speculation regarding the league’s award decisions, Patriots fans remain optimistic, focusing on the team’s playoff aspirations and the possibility of a Super Bowl triumph—with Maye positioned not only to contend for MVP but potentially to earn Super Bowl MVP honors as well.
As the playoffs loom, excitement builds among fans, who are hopeful that their star quarterback will lead the team to greater heights.