Who are the NFL MVP favorites? Two former winners among the top favorites for 2026
Since 2007, only one MVP has not been won by a quarterback: Adrian Peterson in 2012
By this time next week, the 2026 NFL season will have already begun with all 32 teams aiming to reach Super Bowl 61 on February 14 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
Of course, every franchise shares that ultimate dream, but like every season, heavy favorites like the loaded Los Angeles Rams sit alongside rebuilding squads essentially positioning themselves for the 2027 NFL Draft , such as the Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals.
Naturally, history proves that anything can happen over the course of a gruelling 18-week campaign, take last year, for instance, when the Seahawks and Patriots clashed in the Super Bowl despite neither being pegged among the primary preseason oddsmakers' favorites. Now, those same two resilient rivals kick off the brand-new year in a high-stakes opening rematch .
Top MVP Contenders and Early Betting Odds for the 2026 Campaign
Last season, Matthew Stafford earned a thoroughly deserved MVP crown after leading the league in passing yards ( 4,707 ) and touchdowns ( 46 ) for the first time in his stellar career while guiding his team to the NFC Championship game.
Entering the upcoming year, the 38-year-old signal-caller sits sixth ( +1200 ) across major sportsbooks, with four other premier quarterbacks positioned ahead of him, including last year’s MVP runner-up, Drake Maye (+1100) , who climbs to fourth while working with upgraded offensive weapons in his third professional campaign.
Ahead of them, the top three MVP betting favorites feature an elite group of game-changers:
Josh Allen (+650) : The 2024 MVP has finished inside the top five of MVP voting for four consecutive seasons, keeping the Bills anchored by the league's longest active playoff streak ( 7 straight years ) while accounting for over 35 touchdowns in each of the last six years. Allen transitions into this season under a new head coach in Joe Brady , who served as the team's offensive coordinator over the previous two seasons, while also gaining explosive wide receiver DJ Moore as a primary passing target.
Lamar Jackson (+850) : The two-time MVP enters a new era under first-year head coach Jesse Minter , an early favorite for Coach of the Year, following a career spent entirely under John Harbaugh. A healthy Jackson remains an unstoppable force as the greatest dual-threat quarterback in football history, holding the all-time record for quarterback rushing yards (6,522) , the highest career passer rating for any passer with a minimum of 1,500 attempts (102.2), and the most career games with a perfect passer rating.
Joe Burrow (+900) : Burrow hits the field looking to bounce back after appearing in just eight games last year, facing mounting pressure to secure a playoff berth or risk changes on the sideline with head coach Zac Taylor. Having already captured Comeback Player of the Year honors twice, Burrow views CPOY as a viable safety net if the MVP eludes him. During his last fully healthy season, he looked every bit like an MVP frontrunner after throwing for a league-high 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdowns .
Rounding out the top tier just behind them sits Justin Herbert (+1000), who now operates under the guidance of offensive mastermind Mike McDaniel , a coordinator uniquely equipped to squeeze every ounce of production out of the Chargers' franchise quarterback.
