Josh Allen Isn’t the MVP Favorite - But This Might Be His Most Valuable Season Yet
Let’s get this out of the way: Josh Allen probably isn’t going to repeat as MVP. The numbers, at least on the surface, don’t lean in his favor.
Matthew Stafford is lighting it up in Los Angeles, leading the league with 35 touchdown passes and a sparkling 113.1 passer rating. Right behind him is New England’s rookie sensation Drake Maye, who’s piloting a Patriots resurgence with a 111.9 rating and a league-best 71.5% completion rate.
Allen, by comparison, sits at a 102.9 passer rating. Solid, but not headline-grabbing. The Bills are 9-4, a respectable record, but not enough to vault him past Stafford, Maye, or even Green Bay’s Jordan Love in the MVP betting odds.
But here’s where things get interesting: when you dig beyond the stats and into the context, it’s clear that Allen is doing more heavy lifting than just about any quarterback in the league this season. In fact, this might be the most impressive version of Josh Allen we’ve ever seen - even if the trophy case doesn’t reflect it.
The Supporting Cast Gap
Let’s talk about what Allen doesn’t have. Start with the defense.
Buffalo’s once-feared unit has been gutted by injuries and inconsistency, allowing the fourth-most rushing yards in the league and ranking in the bottom half in points per drive. That’s not just bad - that’s a weekly uphill battle for any quarterback.
Now look at Allen’s weapons. While Stafford is throwing to Davante Adams and Puka Nacua and Maye has a mix of savvy vets and explosive young talent, Allen is working with a patchwork receiving corps.
The Bills have had to cobble together options like Brandon Cooks and Gabe Davis just to stay afloat. Dalton Kincaid has emerged as Allen’s go-to guy, but the talented tight end has missed half of the last eight games due to injury.
The lone bright spot outside of Allen? James Cook, who’s quietly become one of the league’s most dynamic all-purpose backs. But even Cook’s impact has been limited by game script - the Bills have so often trailed early that they’ve had to abandon the run and put everything on Allen’s shoulders.
Superman Mode Activated
And Allen has responded - again and again.
The tone was set in Week 1, when he led a jaw-dropping 16-point comeback in the final 3:56 against Baltimore. Since then, he’s stacked up a string of performances that have kept Buffalo in the playoff hunt despite the chaos around him.
Six touchdowns against Tampa Bay in a game where the defense gave up over 200 yards on the ground? Check.
Outdueling Joe Burrow with 329 total yards and four touchdowns? Check.
This isn’t just Allen playing well - it’s Allen dragging a flawed roster to relevance. Strip away the quarterback, and this Bills team looks like a .500 outfit, maybe worse. But Allen’s ability to extend plays, make throws most QBs wouldn’t dare attempt, and put the team on his back week after week has kept Buffalo firmly in the mix.
Not Without Flaws - But No Margin for Error
Now, let’s be fair. Allen hasn’t been perfect.
Road losses to the Falcons and Dolphins stand out as missed opportunities, and he struggled in both games. But context matters.
Kincaid was out. The defense imploded.
Allen was left trying to play hero ball with little support and no room for mistakes.
That was also the case in the Week 13 loss to Houston, when the Texans’ pass rush - led by Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter - overwhelmed Buffalo’s offensive line and sacked Allen eight times. No quarterback thrives under that kind of pressure.
The Bottom Line
So no, Josh Allen probably won’t win MVP this season. The numbers and the wins just aren’t quite there compared to the front-runners. But if we’re talking value - the literal definition of the award - there’s a strong case to be made that no player has meant more to his team in 2025 than Allen.
He’s taken a battered, inconsistent, and at times dysfunctional roster and turned it into a playoff contender. He’s masked the flaws.
He’s made magic. And come January, even with all their issues, the Bills are still a team no one wants to face - because No. 17 gives them a puncher’s chance against anyone.
That’s not just valuable. That’s elite.