Turf Show Times
Matthew Stafford was the 13th consecutive quarterback to win the AP Most Valuable Player after bringing it home for the Los Angeles Rams in 2025. The last time a non-QB won was Adrian Peterson with his superhuman season in 2012. It’s a quarterback award for the most part these days, and the list of recent winners is littered with some of the best quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen.
After putting up those big years, though, how did those last 12 quarterbacks fare in their follow-up effort? Is it at all predictive for what could be in store for Matthew Stafford? Let’s dive into the data.
After missing the 2011 season due to his neck injury, Manning arrived in Denver with a bang in 2012, but it was the 2013 Broncos season that earned Manning his fifth MVP honor. One year later, in 2014, Manning was still undeniably good, throwing for 4,727 yards and 39 touchdowns in a Pro Bowl campaign, but the signs of decline were starting to creep in. He’d retire after winning Super Bowl 50 in the 2015 season when his decline was at its nadir.
There was a legitimate argument for J.J. Watt to win the award this year, but Rodgers pulled it out for his second MVP with another hyper productive and exceptionally efficient year. In 2015 things sputtered a little for Rodgers and the Packers offense, though they still won a playoff game and Rodgers reached the Pro Bowl. We’re nowhere near done with him on this list.
Cam Newton was phenomenal in 2015, leading the Panthers to a 15-1 record and their second-ever Super Bowl appearance, although his performance in that game is still criticized to this day. He never reached those heights again, with no more Pro Bowls or any other honors in the remainder of his career. In fact, his 2016 season was the least productive healthy season in Carolina, throwing for just 19 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, going 6-8 as a starter and missing the playoffs.
Everyone knows how this season ended for Ryan and the Falcons, but he was exceptional on his way to winning MVP. After Kyle Shanahan departed following Super Bowl 51 to become the head coach of the 49ers, Ryan stumbled production-wise, posting his lowest yardage total since 2010 and fewest touchdowns (20) since his rookie season. He remained productive for the remainder of his career but never got close to his MVP campaign again.
Tom Brady won his third and final MVP in 2017, racking up big-time numbers through the air yet again. He followed it up by winning the Super Bowl the following season. We don’t need to rehash any more about that particular accomplishment.
In his first season as a starter, Mahomes took the league by storm...
