The voter who ultimately made the difference in the NFL MVP award race has identified himself and people are not happy.
Sam Monson, formerly of Pro Football Focus, took to X to reveal why he decided to be the only one to vote for Justin Herbert to win the NFL MVP after Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford won the award over Patriots quarterback Drake Maye in one of the tightest races in recent memory.
Stafford won his first MVP with 366 points, while Maye came in second with 361 points, and Monson, in the eyes of many, wasted his vote with a first-place vote on Herbert, which is worth 10 points.
“The guy had the worst offensive line in the NFL all season and despite that he was working miracles in almost every single game,” Monson said of Herbert in an X post defending himself after fans and internet personalities angrily attacked him online. “Stafford’s OL became 2/5ths as bad as Herbert’s for 5 minutes, and he became a turnover howitzer. He embodied ‘value’.”
2025 NFL QB statistics
| Player | Passing yards | Passing touchdowns | Interceptions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Stafford | 3,727 | 26 | 13 |
| Drake Maye | 4,394 | 31 | 8 |
| Justin Herbert | 4,707 | 46 | 8 |
| Josh Allen | 3,668 | 25 | 10 |
Monson has since been the target of vitriol from fans who believe he robbed Maye of an MVP award vote.
“Imagine thinking you outsmarted every other human who watched football,” Barstool Sports founder and New England Patriots fan Dave Portnoy posted in a quote tweet of Munson’s explanation.
“Only cost Maye the MVP. Luckily, we play for Lombardi’s in New England.”
Monson revealed on his podcast “Check The Mic with Steve Palazzolo & Sam Monson” that he voted for Stafford with his second-place vote and ranked Maye third.
Two other voters, who have remained anonymous to this point, gave Josh Allen their first-place vote.
Herbert lost his top two offensive linemen, Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, due to injuries this season, which Monson says is part of the reason he voted for him.
“Navigating an incredibly ugly pocket and delivering absolute dimes to receivers that did not take the step forward that people thought they would this season,” Monson added.
Maye heads into the Super Bowl this weekend, while Stafford announced that he was returning for the 2026 season during his acceptance speech.
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