Passer Rating vs EPA: Which Tells You More?
Why we rank quarterbacks by EPA per dropback, and what passer rating still gets right.
Read Article →AP NFL Most Valuable Player: Winners by Year 1957–2025
The Associated Press's choice for the NFL's most valuable player, voted by a panel of national media members and awarded every season since 1957.
All AP NFL Most Valuable Player Winners by Season
| Season | Winner | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Matthew Stafford | Quarterback | Los Angeles Rams |
| 2024 | Josh Allen | Quarterback | Buffalo Bills |
| 2023 | Lamar Jackson | Quarterback | Baltimore Ravens |
| 2022 | Patrick Mahomes | Quarterback | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2021 | Aaron Rodgers | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers |
| 2020 | Aaron Rodgers | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers |
| 2019 | Lamar Jackson | Quarterback | Baltimore Ravens |
| 2018 | Patrick Mahomes | Quarterback | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 2017 | Tom Brady | Quarterback | New England Patriots |
| 2016 | Matt Ryan | Quarterback | Atlanta Falcons |
| 2015 | Cam Newton | Quarterback | Carolina Panthers |
| 2014 | Aaron Rodgers | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers |
| 2013 | Peyton Manning | Quarterback | Denver Broncos |
| 2012 | Adrian Peterson | Running back | Minnesota Vikings |
| 2011 | Aaron Rodgers | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers |
| 2010 | Tom Brady | Quarterback | New England Patriots |
| 2009 | Peyton Manning | Quarterback | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2008 | Peyton Manning | Quarterback | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2007 | Tom Brady | Quarterback | New England Patriots |
| 2006 | LaDainian Tomlinson | Running back | San Diego Chargers |
| 2005 | Shaun Alexander | Running back | Seattle Seahawks |
| 2004 | Peyton Manning | Quarterback | Indianapolis Colts |
| 2003 | Peyton Manning / Steve McNair | Quarterback | Indianapolis Colts / Tennessee Titans |
| 2002 | Rich Gannon | Quarterback | Oakland Raiders |
| 2001 | Kurt Warner | Quarterback | St. Louis Rams |
| 2000 | Marshall Faulk | Running back | St. Louis Rams |
| 1999 | Kurt Warner | Quarterback | St. Louis Rams |
| 1998 | Terrell Davis | Running back | Denver Broncos |
| 1997 | Brett Favre / Barry Sanders | Quarterback / Running back | Green Bay Packers / Detroit Lions |
| 1996 | Brett Favre | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers |
| 1995 | Brett Favre | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers |
| 1994 | Steve Young | Quarterback | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1993 | Emmitt Smith | Running back | Dallas Cowboys |
| 1992 | Steve Young | Quarterback | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1991 | Thurman Thomas | Running back | Buffalo Bills |
| 1990 | Joe Montana | Quarterback | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1989 | Joe Montana | Quarterback | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1988 | Boomer Esiason | Quarterback | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1987 | John Elway | Quarterback | Denver Broncos |
| 1986 | Lawrence Taylor | Linebacker | New York Giants |
| 1985 | Marcus Allen | Running back | Los Angeles Raiders |
| 1984 | Dan Marino | Quarterback | Miami Dolphins |
| 1983 | Joe Theismann | Quarterback | Washington Redskins |
| 1982 | Mark Moseley | Placekicker | Washington Redskins |
| 1981 | Ken Anderson | Quarterback | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 1980 | Brian Sipe | Quarterback | Cleveland Browns |
| 1979 | Earl Campbell | Running back | Houston Oilers |
| 1978 | Terry Bradshaw | Quarterback | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1977 | Walter Payton | Running back | Chicago Bears |
| 1976 | Bert Jones | Quarterback | Baltimore Colts |
| 1975 | Fran Tarkenton | Quarterback | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1974 | Ken Stabler | Quarterback | Oakland Raiders |
| 1973 | O. J. Simpson | Running back | Buffalo Bills |
| 1972 | Larry Brown | Running back | Washington Redskins |
| 1971 | Alan Page | Defensive tackle | Minnesota Vikings |
| 1970 | John Brodie | Quarterback | San Francisco 49ers |
| 1969 | Roman Gabriel | Quarterback | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1968 | Earl Morrall | Quarterback | Baltimore Colts |
| 1967 | Johnny Unitas | Quarterback | Baltimore Colts |
| 1966 | Bart Starr | Quarterback | Green Bay Packers |
| 1965 | Jim Brown | Fullback | Cleveland Browns |
| 1964 | Johnny Unitas | Quarterback | Baltimore Colts |
| 1963 | Y. A. Tittle | Quarterback | New York Giants |
| 1962 | Jim Taylor | Running back | Green Bay Packers |
| 1961 | Paul Hornung | Running back | Green Bay Packers |
| 1960 | Norm Van Brocklin | Quarterback | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1959 | Johnny Unitas | Quarterback | Baltimore Colts |
| 1958 | Jim Brown | Fullback | Cleveland Browns |
| 1957 | Jim Brown | Fullback | Cleveland Browns |
Seasons are numbered by the NFL season, so the 2025 season ends with the Super Bowl played in early 2026. 16 of 69 winners have a player page here: our NFL data starts in 2016, and only quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends are in it. Source: Wikipedia, AP NFL Most Valuable Player.
Honors are compiled from public award and league lists; the list text comes from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). A name links to a player page when we have that player in our data and the match is certain; winners from before our data have no link. See an error? Tell us.
QBS BLOG · PASSING QUESTIONS · MINDSET
All Posts →Understanding the Throw.
What the box score cannot tell you about the people behind the pass.
What CPOE Means, and How ACE Builds on It
Completion percentage over expected gives credit for difficult completions. Here is how ACE measures it.
Read Article →Why Sacks Belong Partly to the Quarterback
A sack is the rush, the line and the decision. Why our dropback stats count them.
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