Micah Parsons’ MVP choices raise eyebrows after glaring Drake Maye snub

Heading into Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is still at the top of the MVP conversation, falling just behind 17-year veteran Matthew Stafford. The two have been mostly neck and neck in recent weeks, but Stafford's big-time win over the Cardinals on Sunday has many analysts (and bettors) moving him up the ladder for the award, while Maye falls.

Despite the much better roster the veteran is working with, Maye has accomplished a lot with far less during a season that most believed would be another wash in New England. Predictions before the season began had the Patriots winning up to eight games, so the fact that they have already won 11 going into their next matchup is beyond impressive.

That doesn't mean much to some, however, who continue to dismiss what the second-year player has done this year, and the latest disrespect comes from superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons, who named his top-3 candidates for MVP this season, which included Stafford, and his current and former quarterbacks, but not Maye.

Micah Parsons somehow leaves out Drake Maye from the MVP conversation

In what appears to be an effort to please his current QB (Jordan Love) and his former signal caller (Dak Prescott), and to echo the most popular answer to the MVP question by naming Stafford, Parsons ignores the idea that Maye could win the coveted prize while discussing his pick of candidates.

He's just the latest of a long list of names overlooking the idea of Maye winning MVP in just his second season, and it wouldn't be surprising if he's falling for the "easy schedule" bait that has plagued most of the conversation surrounding the quarterback.

Stafford is certainly a name that should be a favorite, but Maye isn't far behind, if at all, and shouldn't be dismissed for any reason. Playing quarterback in the National Football League is not easy, as we see every single season from rookies to some of the seasoned veterans, so what Maye is accomplishing should be applauded.

There's a reason he's already in the MVP conversation, and it shouldn't come down to who the Patriots have played, or to that somehow being the determining factor in whether he or Stafford deserves the award.

The Rams don't have the most impressive docket of opponents this season, either, even if their opponents are mostly more difficult than the Patriots. But the MVP prize is supposed to go to the most valuable player in the league, a player who, if he were unavailable to suit up on Sunday, would lower his team's odds of winning.

Given the offensive roster Stafford has to work with, it's fair to believe a backup could still lead the Rams to wins if needed. The same cannot be said about Maye, as we have already seen.

Regardless, it would be nice if analysts and players like Parsons would stop ignoring Maye in this conversation.