One of the worst things about the NFL is that the MVP award has turned into a quarterback award. I will say that in today’s NFL, more often than not, the quarterback is the most valuable player, but there are some years when other players deserve it more.

2025 was arguably one of those years. Matthew Stafford is the heavy favorite to win the MVP, and while his numbers were great, other players might’ve been more valuable to their teams than he was.

Today, I crafted a list of the top 10 MVP candidates if we removed quarterbacks from the discussion.

1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks

When the Seattle Seahawks traded DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers, they were really banking on Jaxon Smith-Njigba stepping up. And boy did he ever. The Seahawks’ star receiver led the league in receiving yards and was tied for fourth in receiving touchdowns. Considering nobody else on the team had more than 600 yards and the Seahawks were one of the best offenses in football, I think it’s safe to say that JSN was the most valuable non-QB to his team.

Stats: 119 receptions, 1,793 yards, 10 TD

2. Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams

This was a very close call between JSN and Puka Nacua, but I had to lean JSN. Not only were his numbers slightly better, but he completely made the Seahawks’ offense. Without Nacua, the Rams’ offense would still be good, so I think JSN is slightly more valuable to his team. Nacua still had an incredible season and would be No. 1 on this list most years.

Top Stories

Michael Strahan Forced to Intervene as Terry Bradshaw Visibly Struggles Amid Calls for FOX to Cut Him Loose

Matthew Stafford Shares Retirement Stance as Sean McVay Issues Statement on Rams QB’s Future After Rams’ Loss

Injured Xavier Worthy Risks Another Major Setback as Chiefs Look to Draft New WR for Patrick Mahomes

Mike Vrabel Threatens to Bench Locker Room for Super Bowl After Patriots Win vs Broncos

Seahawks’ Tariq Woolen Awaits NFL Punishment as Mike Macdonald Sends Authoritative Message

Stats: 129 receptions, 1,715 yards, 10 TD

3. Myles Garrett, DE, Cleveland Browns

It’s hard putting the guy who broke the NFL record for most sacks in a single season at No. 3, but here’s my reasoning. The Cleveland Browns sucked, and without him, they probably wouldn’t have sucked much less. Yes, he added value to the team and probably helped them pick up a win or two, but not having Garrett wouldn’t have changed much. That being said, the fact that he’s No. 3 on this list shows you just how dominant he was in 2025.

Stats: 84 pressures, 45 hurries, 23 sacks

4. Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers

I can already hear people yelling about Christian McCaffrey’s 3.9 yards per carry this season, but if you’re using that as an argument for why he shouldn’t be on here, you didn’t watch football. McCaffrey carried this offense that was riddled with injuries to the playoffs with over 2,000 total yards and 17 total TDs. If you don’t think he’s worthy of a top-five placement, you’re just wrong.

Stats: 1,202 rushing yards, 924 receiving yards, 17 total TD

5. Will Anderson Jr., DE, Houston Texans

Will Anderson is our second defender to crack this list. He actually had more pressures and hurries than Myles Garrett did in the regular season; he just wasn’t able to finish as many sacks. If his sack number was a bit higher – say, closer to 15 or 16 – he’d probably slot in right behind Garrett. He was the best player on the best defense in the league, so he comes in at No. 5.

Stats: 94 pressures, 70 hurries, 12 sacks

7. Micah Parsons, DE, Green Bay Packers

Micah Parsons only played 14 games, but he made a massive impact on the Green Bay Packers’ defense. Despite missing the final 3.5 games of the season, Parsons racked up 79 pressures, 51 hurries, and 12.5 sacks. There’s an argument to be made that he should be higher on this list, given that the Packers went 0-5 and gave up over 28 points per game without him, but he comes in at No. 7.

Stats: 79 pressures, 51 hurries, 12.5 sacks

7. Trey McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals

Trey McBride always had this stigma that he was a great tight end, but wasn’t much of a red zone threat. Well, he put that to rest this season, catching 11 touchdown passes on top of 126 receptions and 1,200+ yards. Without him, the Arizona Cardinals might have ended up with the first overall pick, which probably wouldn’t have been the worst thing, but it goes to show how valuable he was to this offense.

Stats: 126 receptions, 1,239 yards, 11 TD

8. Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Detroit Lions

Aidan Hutchinson had a stellar season, totaling 100 pressures and 14.5 sacks, but the reason he’s lower than some of the other defensive ends on this list is that I don’t think he made as big of an impact for his defense. The Lions struggled defensively, especially in the back half of the year, and that was when Hutchinson was putting up his best numbers. Despite his best efforts, the Lions still couldn’t get a stop, so he wasn’t as valuable as Parsons, Anderson or Garrett.

Stats: 100 pressures, 64 hurries, 14.5 sacks

9. George Pickens, WR, Dallas Cowboys

When CeeDee Lamb went out with an injury early in the season, George Pickens stepped up in a massive way to help carry the Dallas Cowboys’ offense. Without him, the Cowboys would’ve been out of playoff contention long before they actually were. I don’t think he had the impact Nacua and JSN had, but he was certainly the best of the rest of the receivers.

Stats: 93 receptions, 1,429 yards, 9 TD

10. Nik Bonitto, DE, Denver Broncos

Rounding out our list is Nik Bonitto. After logging 13.5 sacks last season, Bonitto stepped it up in 2025, logging 76 pressures, 45 hurries and 14 sacks. He was the best pass rusher on the team that recorded the fifth-most sacks in a single season in NFL history. He’s only this low because the Denver Broncos had so many other pass rushers put up lofty stats, so he didn’t have to do it all on his own like Garrett or Hutchinson.

Stats: 76 pressures, 45 hurries, 14 sacks