ClutchPoints
The NFL MVP race is heating up. With the season about to surpass the halfway mark, it is becoming clearer who is and isn’t in the running to be named the best football player in 2025. There is still a lot of football left, but check out the gallery to see the top-five MVP front-runners.
Justin Herbert has been viewed as one of the most talented quarterbacks in the NFL since his rookie season. He threw for 4,336 yards and 31 touchdowns in his first campaign before improving to the likes of 5,014 yards and 38 touchdowns in year two. The Los Angeles Chargers’ star quarterback has set numerous records, including the most passing yards through two, three, four, and five seasons.
However, it seemed like Herbert’s days of being a statistical darling were over when the Chargers hired Jim Harbaugh as their head coach. Harbaugh-led teams are known for their play in the trenches, and it was assumed that Los Angeles would be rushing-oriented going forward. That proved somewhat true last season, but Harbaugh again unleashed Herbert this year.
Herbert got off to a hot start slinging the pigskin all over the field, and he still leads the NFL in passing yards (2,140). His passing touchdowns mark of 16 is tied for the second most in the league, too. Herbert’s brilliance played a part in Quentin Johnston going from potential draft bust to one of the best receivers in the league this season. Keenan Allen has had a resurgence since rejoining his old team, too. Oronde Gadsden is having an incredible rookie year, and even Ladd McConkey, who got off to a slow start after a tremendous rookie season, has been getting fed the ball in recent weeks.
Feeding that many mouths and ensuring everybody is happy is easier said than done. Herbert has found success through the air despite opposing defenses having some advantages, too. Notably, Rashawn Slater is out for the season, and Joe Alt missed a sizeable chunk of time due to injury. First-round rookie running back Omarion Hampton is out, too, as is his backup, Najee Harris. The Chargers have been forced to let Herbert do his thing, and they’ve been rewarded with an MVP-caliber campaign.
A couple of weeks ago Baker Mayfield would have ranked near or at the top of these MVP rankings. He has since had back-to-back uninspiring performances, but his early-season work shouldn’t be overlooked. His last two games have perhaps been given too much hate, too, considering he beat the New Orleans Saints by 20 points, he only has one interception during that stretch, and he has been going at it with an injury-deprived Tampa Bay Buccaneers team.
Mayfield’s ability to adapt and put up big numbers despite the injury bug impacting his team is the reason he is in the MVP conversation. Chris Godwin started the season late because of his ankle injury,...
