Former Vikings Draft Darling Closes in on MVP
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford produced a poor game on Monday Night Football, sinking his team further down the NFC’s playoff seeding and opening the door for New England Patriots passer Drake Maye to win the MVP award.
Minnesota didn’t draft him, New England did, and now Maye’s season has turned into the kind of weekly reminder that doesn’t shut up.
Maye was an extreme Vikings draft darling 20 months ago, and remains the topic of “What could have been?” discussions among fans. He might win the league’s most illustrious individual award.
Drake Maye Is Forcing the Vikings’ 2024 Draft “What If” to Resurface
Maye seizes the MVP race in oddsmakers’ eyes.
MVP Odds Flip after Week 17
It’s now Maye’s MVP trophy to lose.
NBC Sports‘ Mike Florio wrote Monday night, “There’s a new MVP favorite in town. And his name is Drake Maye. Monday night’s rough showing from prior favorite Matthew Stafford has flipped the two-man race. Maye, as of this posting, has odds of -400. Stafford stands at +300.”
“Stafford had three interceptions in Monday night’s 27-24 loss to the Falcons, including his sixth career pick six. That ties Brett Favre for the all-time record. Throw in the fact that the Rams can’t win the NFC West, and Maye’s perceived chances have skyrocketed. The bettors have made it a two-man race. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Bears quarterback Caleb Williams are the next on the odds sheet, with both at +18000.”
One bad game from Stafford was apparently enough to swing the MVP math over the Maye.
The Case for Stafford
Stafford has never won the MVP award, and sometimes voters in sports will honor a player with Lifetime Achievement. That may not be righteous, but it is real.
The numbers for Stafford also outclass Maye, who is just in his second year as a pro. Stafford has posted an unholy good season, complete with these numbers:
- 4,448 Passing Yards
- 42 TD Passes
- 8 Interceptions
- 65.2% Completion
Yes, those are MVP numbers, and it’s not debatable.
There was also uncertainty about Stafford’s health way back in August and September, so much so that the Rams’ coaching staff thought he might start the season on injured reserve. Considering that tidbit, it’s even more remarkable that he’s doing it despite a back that ailed him months ago.
The Case for Maye
On Maye, well, he’s the next big thing. His team has faced a cakewalk schedule compared to Los Angeles, but Maye also doesn’t have Puka Nacua and Davante Adams receiving his passes. Maye has old Stefon Diggs and role player wide receivers.
These are the numbers for Maye:
- 4,203 Passing Yards
- 30 TD Passes
- 8 Interceptions
- 71.7% Completion
The argument for Maye as MVP is straightforward: he’s done more with less weaponry.
CBS Sports‘ Jared Dubin wrote about Maye’s case on Monday, “Maye’s -400 odds at DraftKings give him an implied 80% chance of winning the MVP. That’s higher than Stafford had at any point during the MVP watch we’ve been doing throughout the latter portion of the season.”
“It would take something pretty incredible happening in the final week of the season for Maye not to win, unless the voting goes significantly differently than the oddsmakers expect. Basically, unless he has a total meltdown, the award is his to lose. If Maye has a representative performance against the Dolphins on Sunday, he is probably going to take it home.”
The Vikings Angle
The credible version of the rumor mill — the one tied to national reporters with real sourcing — had Minnesota targeting Drake Maye during the 2024 NFL Draft. The problem was simple: New England never showed real interest in moving. There was no incentive. The Patriots believed they were sitting on the league’s best young quarterback, and very few people pushed back on that assessment at the time.
In March and April, the projected trade cost fluctuated widely. Early chatter centered on two first-round picks plus a veteran. As the draft approached, the number crept upward, landing at three first-rounders with a mid-round pick occasionally tacked on.
Then, in the final stretch before the draft, the conversation went sideways. Reports surfaced suggesting New England would only listen if Minnesota included three first-round picks and Christian Darrisaw. That was the point where the discussion stopped being practical. No front office — Minnesota included — could justify that level of exposure for a quarterback who still carried projection risk, no matter how high the ceiling looked.
Still, many Vikings fans believe Maye was gettable and that the Vikings simply forgot to offer a trade or didn’t do enough to get him. His MVP award would, of course, twist the knife a bit farther.
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