If fans were told before the start of the 2025 NFL season that by Week 7 the leading MVP candidates would be quarterbacks Drake Maye and Baker Mayfield, it would probably be hard to find someone who legitimately believed it. But that's the reality of where this season is, and fortunately for the fans of the Patriots and the Bucs, they face each other in Tampa in Week 10.
That will be the ultimate test of two MVP candidates, even if they don't technically play against each other. And because of that, fans are already suggesting that the NFL move their game from the afternoon into primetime, as it could be a very telling game for the state of the league.
I don’t think the NFL realizes how many viewers and much money they would be losing by not flexing #Patriots-#Buccaneers to primetime.
— New England Sports Fellow (@NESportsFellow) October 13, 2025
Drake Maye. Baker Mayfield. Elite matchup. pic.twitter.com/XkOQXFiEQB
If things continue to go well for both teams over the next three weeks, it will surely be a game that fans outside of the two fanbases will want to watch.
They both have solid records, the Patriots at 4-2 and the Bucs at 5-1, and could each add even more wins before their matchup next month. It could become one of the deciding factors in determining the winner of the illustrious award, which is a lot closer than some might think.
The battle for MVP between Drake Maye and Baker Mayfield makes their Week 10 game a must-watch
Since signing with the Bucs in 2023, Mayfield has experienced a career resurgence that not many could have predicted after the Browns shockingly decided to move on from him after four years. He found success with the Panthers and saw an uptick with the Rams, which ultimately led to the Bucs' interest in making him their starter.
He has helped them regain possession of the NFC South and is playing so well this season that he leads the MVP conversation, which Maye just entered after his wins over the Bills and Saints in back-to-back weeks.
Although Maye's performance is going a bit more under the radar than Mayfield's, stats show they are far closer in their production than one might think, making it even more impressive that the second-year quarterback is in the MVP conversation already.
Drake Maye vs. Baker Mayfield:
— Daniel Rotman (@daniel_rotman15) October 13, 2025
Top MVP candidates through 6 weeks… pic.twitter.com/zfNruJ33dL
And this is just after six games. Imagine what their stats will look like after three more.
It's difficult to say whether the NFL would seriously consider moving the game from the afternoon slot to primetime, but they have done it in the past. It typically happens later in the year when playoff seeding is at stake, which we will be far from in just Week 10.
But if there was ever a time they should make an exception, it might be this one, and it could bring them good ratings and viewership, which brings in money, and we know that the NFL loves to hear that.