Josh Allen finally did it.
He didn't just win; he basically snatched the trophy out of the air when everyone thought the race was already over. Last year—specifically the 2024 NFL season—gave us one of the weirdest, most heated MVP debates in recent memory. If you ask a Ravens fan, they’ll tell you Lamar Jackson was robbed in broad daylight. If you ask a Bills fan, they’ll say Allen carried a depleted roster on his back like a modern-day Atlas.
Honestly, both sides have a point.
The Josh Allen MVP Win That Broke the Status Quo
When the 2025 NFL Honors ceremony kicked off in New Orleans, the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Josh Allen walked away with his first career MVP award, but the margin was razor-thin. We're talking 383 points for Allen against 362 for Jackson.
It was the closest vote since 2016.
What makes this truly wild is that Lamar Jackson actually won the First-Team All-Pro nod. Usually, those two things go hand-in-hand. You win All-Pro, you win MVP. That’s the unwritten rule. But the voters decided to get "creative" last year. They looked at the context. They looked at the fact that Buffalo traded away Stefon Diggs and basically told Allen, "Good luck, kid."
And Allen responded by accounting for 41 total touchdowns.
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He threw for 28, ran for 12, and even caught one. He became the first player in the history of the league to put up 25+ passing TDs, 10+ rushing TDs, and a receiving score in the same season. That’s not just a stat line; that’s a Madden create-a-player glitch come to life.
Why the Lamar Jackson Snub Still stings
Lamar’s 2024 was, statistically, better than his 2023 MVP run. Think about that for a second. He threw for a career-high 4,172 yards and had 41 touchdowns with only four interceptions. He was the first human being to ever throw for 4,000 yards and rush for 800 in a single season.
But narrative is a powerful drug.
The Bills finished 13-4 and locked up the AFC East while the Ravens were busy being the most dominant team in the league. Voters seemed to feel that Allen was "more valuable" because his supporting cast was perceived as weaker. It’s a classic debate: is the MVP the best player on the best team, or the player who does the most with the least?
Last year, the "do more with less" crowd won the day.
Breaking Down the Top Five Finishers
The race wasn't just a two-man show, though it certainly felt like it at the end. Here is how the final points shook out:
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- Josh Allen (Bills): 383 points (27 first-place votes)
- Lamar Jackson (Ravens): 362 points (23 first-place votes)
- Saquon Barkley (Eagles): 120 points (A monster first year in Philly)
- Joe Burrow (Bengals): 82 points (The ultimate comeback story)
- Jared Goff (Lions): 47 points (The leader of the Detroit revolution)
Saquon Barkley was a force of nature. He led the league with 2,005 rushing yards and probably would have broken the all-time single-season record if the Eagles hadn't rested him in the final week. Joe Burrow, meanwhile, took home the Comeback Player of the Year award after lighting up the league for 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns following his 2023 wrist injury.
The "All-Pro" Disconnect
Let's circle back to that All-Pro thing because it's kinda important. Since 1987, the First-Team All-Pro quarterback has almost always been the MVP. The last time it didn't happen was when John Elway won MVP while Joe Montana took the All-Pro spot.
Why the split?
Some analysts argue that the MVP has become a "story" award. Allen’s story was about overcoming the loss of his WR1 and leading a "transition year" team to a 13-4 record. Lamar's story was "he's still great," which apparently wasn't shiny enough for the 50 journalists holding the ballots.
Surprises from the 2025 NFL Honors
While everyone was arguing about the MVP, some other huge names picked up hardware. Patrick Surtain II absolutely dominated the Defensive Player of the Year voting. He was a literal island. He allowed only 37 receptions all year. If you threw his way, you were basically throwing the ball into a black hole.
And we can't forget Kevin O'Connell.
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The Vikings coach led Minnesota to 14 wins, which is absurd given the expectations. He rightfully took home Coach of the Year, beating out Dan Campbell in another tight race.
What This Means for the 2025-2026 Season
As we sit here in early 2026, the ripple effects of Allen's win are everywhere. It’s changed how we look at quarterback "value." It’s no longer just about who has the highest passer rating (which was Lamar at 119.6). It’s about who carries the heaviest load.
We’re currently seeing a new crop of stars like Drake Maye—who just finished a historic rookie-turned-sophomore leap—trying to emulate that Allen-style "do everything" mentality. The bar for MVP has shifted from efficiency to pure, unadulterated impact.
How to Evaluate "Value" Moving Forward
If you're trying to predict who wins the next one, stop looking at just the stats. Look at the roster turnover. Look at who’s winning games with a patchwork offensive line or a rookie receiving corps. The 2024 season proved that the "Most Valuable" label is increasingly about the context of the success, not just the numbers on the page.
Check the betting odds mid-season, but pay attention to the "narrative" games. When Josh Allen ran for that 26-yard touchdown against the Chiefs in Week 11, that was the "MVP moment" that stuck in voters' heads. Lamar had the stats, but Allen had the highlights that felt like they defined the season.
To truly understand the MVP race, you have to watch the games, not just the box scores. The voters are human, and they love a good story.
Start tracking the "High Impact" plays for current frontrunners. Look for quarterbacks who lead their teams in both passing and rushing touchdowns. Pay attention to the All-Pro announcements, but remember that being the "best" doesn't always mean you're the "most valuable" in the eyes of the media.