SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The ballots are counted, the debates are settled, and a rookie revolution has officially taken over the league. With the NFL Honors ceremony looming Thursday night, Drake Maye has claimed the MVP title in the official CBS Sports expert vote, narrowly edging out Matthew Stafford in the tightest race in recent memory.
While Maye’s rise to the top of the league shocked the pundits, Myles Garrett left no room for argument. The Browns’ superstar didn’t just win Defensive Player of the Year; he demanded it, securing a unanimous selection after a historic 23-sack campaign that rewrote the record books.
The numbers don’t lie, and neither do the voters. Maye secured 7 votes to Stafford’s 5, a razor-thin margin that reflects a changing of the guard. While Stafford earned first-team All-Pro honors—a traditional precursor to MVP hardware—Maye’s efficiency was undeniable. The Patriots quarterback led the NFL in four critical categories:
History tells us the All-Pro QB usually takes home the big trophy. But just as Josh Allen flipped the script on Lamar Jackson last year, Maye has done the same to Stafford. He didn’t just manage games; he dictated them, turning a rebuilding roster into a Super Bowl contender.
Myles Garrett (12 votes) stands alone. In a season where the league saw stellar play from finalists Will Anderson Jr., Nik Bonitto, Aidan Hutchinson, and Micah Parsons, Garrett operated on a different frequency. His 23 sacks set a new single-season NFL record, finally surpassing the ghost of seasons past. The voters responded accordingly: unanimous consent. It wasn’t a contest; it was a coronation.
The 2025 Draft class has officially arrived, and they brought the noise.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Carolina’s Tetairoa McMillan (10 votes) made the transition from Arizona to the NFL look effortless. His debut line—70 catches, 1,014 yards, 7 TDs—made him the runaway favorite. While Giants QB Jaxson Dart (24 total TDs) and Seahawks lineman Grey Zabel drew single votes, “T-Mac” was the engine of the Panthers’ offense.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: The Browns struck gold again with Carson Schwesinger (9 votes). The UCLA product didn’t play like a rookie; he played like a ten-year vet. Schwesinger filled the stat sheet with 156 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks. He joins Shaquille Leonard (2018) as the only rookie to hit those benchmarks in the last decade.
“People looked at our roster in August and laughed. They said we were two years away. Now we’re playing in February. Drake [Maye] didn’t care about the timeline. He just went out there and threw darts.” — Jerod Mayo, Patriots Head Coach
This awards slate adds a fascinating layer of intrigue to Sunday’s showdown at Levi’s Stadium. On one sideline, you have Mike Vrabel, the newly crowned Coach of the Year (6 votes), leading a Patriots team that defied 13-loss odds to reach the Super Bowl. On the other, you have the Seahawks, armed with OPOY winner Jaxon Smith-Njigba (1,793 yards) and rookie standout Nick Emmanwori.
The Seahawks’ defense will have to answer the MVP question directly: Can they stop Drake Maye? We find out Sunday.
