Week 10 of the NFL season is officially over and there were more than a few consequential results as the playoff chase heats up. The Philadelphia Eagles picked up a massive road victory against the Green Bay Packers to hold onto their first place in the NFC Conference.

Meanwhile, the Indianapolis Colts won a thrilling game overseas to fend off the 8-2 New England Patriots and Denver Broncos in the AFC. Speaking of the Patriots, they recorded another signature road win, this time at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

And then there are teams like the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, and Jacksonville Jaguars who blew massive opportunities to improve their standing in their division and conference races.

With that in mind, there has been some movement in our MVP race, and as we head down the home stretch, these lists become all the more important. Here are GIVEMESPORT’s top 10 candidates for regular season MVP.

10

Jalen Hurts

It was a defensive slugfest on Monday night between the two NFC titans, but the Philadelphia Eagles were able to escape Lambeau Field with a crucial 10-7 victory.

Jalen Hurts did not have a great game, and even committed his second turnover of the season this evening. Fortunately, the reigning Super Bowl MVP was largely efficient for the rest of the game and still leads the top seed in the NFC.

9

Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Jaxon Smith-Njigba continues to establish himself as the best wide receiver in the NFL. The former Ohio State standout has now crossed the 1,000 yard mark and caught his fifth touchdown pass in the Seattle Seahawks‘ 44-22 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Now, one of the league’s hottest teams heads into a highly anticipated clash with the Los Angeles Rams, who also sit at 7-2. Mike Macdonald’s team is shaping up to be a Super Bowl contender with the growth they’ve shown this season and Smith-Njigba has been a key player in this franchise’s rise back to relevance.

8

Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs had a bye in Week 10, but had some help, at least in the Wild Card race. The Buffalo Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars both had tough losses this weekend, which now ties the Chiefs in the loss column for the No. 7 seed.

To have a realistic chance of winning league MVP, Mahomes and company will likely need to win the AFC West, and coincidentally, the Chiefs will pay a visit to the Denver Broncos this Sunday. Mahomes will either shoot up or down this list depending on this result and how he plays.

7

Josh Allen

The Buffalo Bills are now firmly behind the New England Patriots in the AFC East race after a dismal 30-13 loss to the Miami Dolphins. Josh Allen wasn’t awful in this major setback, but the star quarterback’s two turnovers certainly weren’t ideal for an offense that struggled to convert all afternoon.

The Bills have a much harder schedule to close out the regular season than their divisional counterpart, which means Allen will need to regain his 2024 form to get home field in the playoffs.

6

Jared Goff

The Detroit Lions had a much-needed bounce-back performance against the Washington Commanders in front of a notable crowd. Jared Goff was his usual efficient self, completing 25 of 33 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns.

The star quarterback is now completing a career-high 74% of his passes for 20 touchdowns with just three inceptions on a team that still controls its own destiny in the NFC North race.

5

Sam Darnold

Sam Darnold is certainly no longer a one-hit wonder and the Seattle Seahawks’ quarterback is building on his breakout year with the Minnesota Vikings.

The one-time Pro Bowler has a case to shoot into the top 3 with a win next weekend against the Los Angeles Rams, even though his turnovers are a bit high. Nonetheless, Darnold’s completion percentage, passer rating, and QBR put him squarely in All-Pro contention.

4

Drake Maye

New England Patriots have now won seven straight games after another impressive road victory against a contender. This time, Drake Maye and company took down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to move to 8-2 in Mike Vrabel’s first season.

The second-year quarterback has found another gear under his new head coach, and now has a real chance to win this award should the Patriots grab the No. 1 overall seed.

The only reason why Maye isn’t higher than Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield isn’t because he didn’t necessarily out duel his elite counterpart. But a team win is a team win at the NFL’s most important position.

3

Matthew Stafford

Matthew Stafford is starting to cement as a top-tier MVP candidate amid his best statistical year. Through nine games, the veteran quarterback has passed for over 2,400 yards, 25 touchdowns and just two picks for the 7-2 Los Angeles Rams.

Like Sam Darnold, Stafford has an opportunity to move up to No. 2 on our list with a standout performance against the red-hot Seattle Seahawks.

2

Baker Mayfield

Baker Mayfield may have lost the war to Drake Maye on Sunday afternoon, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback still completed 28 of 43 passes for 273 yards and three touchdowns.

The Buccaneers are treading water as they wait for star running back Bucky Irving to return to action. Even with the loss, Mayfield is still on pace for his most impactful season yet, but his grip on the No. 2 spot is slipping.

1

Jonathan Taylor

The 2025 NFL MVP race is Jonathan Taylor and the rest to this point in the regular season. The Indianapolis Colts’ running back has been in our top spot for a few weeks, and he is now coming off his best performance of the season.

Taylor rushed for 244 yards and three touchdowns in his team’s 31-25 win over the Atlanta Falcons. The AFC’s No. 1 seed has looked a bit shaky over these past few weeks, but their star running back can rush for 0 yards next Sunday, and he’ll still be at the top of our next list.