Sports

NFL power rankings: Ranking every division's top MVP candidate in 2026

NFL Spin Zone · Jul 21, 2026 20:00 · 6 min read

NFL Power Rankings: Ranking every division's top MVP candidate in 2026 — Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The latest NFL Power Rankings take a look at every division's top MVP candidate heading into the 2026 season. Who are the top contenders?

The 2026 NFL season is poised to be one of the best in recent memory.

It feels like this is the deepest we've seen all eight divisions around the NFL, some of the most stacked quarterback play we've had around the league, and the level of competition has ramped up significantly with established powerhouse teams, newcomers over the past two seasons, and potential breakout teams in 2026.

Our newest NFL Power Rankings are going to attempt to sort out the impossible: The best MVP candidates from each division. There are so many qualified players around the league, including multiple in some divisions, but we're picking the top 8 MVP candidates from each division heading into the 2026 season.

NFL Power Rankings: MVP candidates from every division in 2026, ranked

8. NFC South: Bijan Robinson, RB, Falcons

Bijan Robinson is the only non-quarterback on this list (spoiler alert). It's extremely difficult for non-quarterbacks in today's NFL to win the league MVP award, but if any non-QB can do it this year, Bijan Robinson is on a short list of real candidates.

The Falcons' offense will be having a quarterback competition during training camp, but no matter who wins that competition, we can expect Robinson to be the focal point of the offense regardless.

Robinson is fresh off of back-to-back seasons with at least 1,400 rushing yards, and he had over 2,200 yards from scrimmage last season. He has 25 total touchdowns over the past two seasons combined, but it's going to take some monstrous numbers to win league MVP.

This is a division without a true MVP-caliber quarterback unless Baker Mayfield or Bryce Young shows a level of consistency that we simply haven't seen up to this point. Robinson could make a strong case for himself as the league MVP if he puts up video game-like numbers and the Falcons somehow win the division.

7. AFC South: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jaguars

There are a number of players around the NFL who simply don't get their due credit, and Trevor Lawrence is one of them.

Although he was a #1 overall pick in the NFL Draft and already has a big-money contract extension, it feels like Lawrence is one of the most underrated players in the league. He's obviously been part of some really rough Jaguars teams, but he's also proven to be one of the most dynamic players at the position when he's fully healthy.

Down the stretch this past season, there might not have been a hotter quarterback in the NFL. From Week 10 through the end of the season, he was on pace for a 40 passing TD, 10 rushing TD season. Putting up 50 total touchdowns would absolutely have just about anyone in the MVP conversation. Of course, you can extrapolate anybody's best stretch and make a case, but there's reason to believe Lawrence can build on the second half he had last season.

6. NFC North: Jordan Love, QB, Packers

There are quite a few potential MVP candidates in the NFC North this year, but one of them stands out among the rest: Packers QB Jordan Love.

Although Caleb Williams is going to be the hot pick for many football fans and bettors this season, Jordan Love is the one quarterback in this division who has consistently shown MVP-level traits over the past handful of seasons.

A couple of injuries have hindered otherwise excellent seasons from Love over the past two years, but his best stretches of play are among the more unstoppable in the NFL. Love is fully capable of operating the Matt LaFleur offense with efficiency as well as breaking the script and making unbelievable plays with his physical abilities. He's got six game-winning drives over the past two seasons (4 last season alone), proving he's got ice in his veins as well.

5. AFC West: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Chiefs

The AFC West was an extremely difficult division to pick a potential MVP candidate from, believe it or not. There are a lot of factors that really complicate this discussion.

The most obvious name is the player who has won MVP in his career previously: Patrick Mahomes. The caveat is that Mahomes is coming off of a serious knee injury, and we don't know what version of the player we can realistically expect to see this coming season.

With that in mind, the names Justin Herbert and Bo Nix certainly come to the forefront. Those two quarterbacks have the skill sets to put up MVP-like numbers, but do they stand a better chance of impressing MVP voters if all three put up the same types of numbers?

You could make a significant case for any of the three to be in this spot, but Mahomes gets the edge -- despite his injury -- because of the reputation he's built in the league so far.

4. AFC North: Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals

The AFC North's most likely MVP candidate came down to a battle between Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow, and it was ultimately a toss-up between the two. Although other players on this list were given the nod due to their prior MVP hardware, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow is a very different discussion than AFC West quarterbacks or AFC East quarterbacks.

Burrow has played at an MVP level before, and the Bengals turning things around this year as a team with Burrow putting up big numbers would have him at the forefront of the MVP conversation.

The same can be said of Jackson, but Jackson's three MVP-caliber seasons (two wins) in the past almost work at a disadvantage for him, because he'll get graded on more of a curve than Burrow will. The expectations are high for both players, but Burrow leading the Bengals back to prominence in the AFC and throwing for 4,500 yards with 40 touchdowns would put him arguably in the driver's seat for MVP.

3. NFC East: Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys

Back in the 2023 season, Dak Prescott finished 2nd in the league in MVP voting. He played at an MVP level for most of last season, but couldn't overcome the horrendous defense the Cowboys threw onto the field every week.

With an improved team around him, Prescott should absolutely be in the mix for MVP once again in 2026.

Over the past five years, if Prescott is given a 16-17 game slate and a clean bill of health, he's been basically a mortal lock for 4,500 yards and at least 30 passing touchdowns. And he doesn't run as much as he did in the earlier stages of his career, but he can add some rushing touchdowns as well.

If the Cowboys are winning a lot of games, and that's a distinct possibility with even an average defense, then Prescott is going to get MVP attention, whether folks like it or not.

2. NFC West: Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams

As the reigning league MVP, perhaps Stafford should be atop this list. It's not impossible to win back-to-back MVPs, something Aaron Rodgers accomplished in the 2020-21 seasons.

However, history tells us that Matthew Stafford's follow-up seasons after a big year statistically are not always very good. Looking back at his 2011-12 seasons, he threw 41 touchdowns and led the Lions to 10 wins in 2011, but then followed that up with a 4-12 season in 2012 with just 20 touchdowns and a completion rate under 60 percent.

After throwing 41 touchdowns in his first year with the Rams, he played just 9 games the following season and his touchdown percentage dropped from 6.8 percent to just 3.3 percent.

Stafford's follow-up after an MVP campaign in 2025 isn't guaranteed to be bad, obviously, but there is some interesting history to consider there. He's still the top MVP candidate in the division, even with players like Christian McCaffrey, Brock Purdy, and Super Bowl champion Sam Darnold.

1. AFC East: Josh Allen, QB, Bills

Sometimes, you can just feel it in the air. Josh Allen is going to be playing this upcoming season with a chip on his shoulder (as if he doesn't any other year), and we're expecting a monstrous year from him once again.

Over the last decade, there has arguably not been a more consistent quarterback in the league than Josh Allen. Since he got into the NFL, he's averaged 30 passing touchdowns per 17 games played. He's also averaged 10 rushing touchdowns per 17 games played.

You can bank on this guy racking up about 40 touchdowns per season, and that might be where the over/under begins. Allen is one of the most dynamic playmakers at the quarterback position in the game today, and is probably the safest bet for MVP in the league overall.