Justin Herbert’s lone MVP vote sparked outrage, with many claiming it cost Drake Maye the award. But when you look at Herbert’s 2025 season — thriving behind one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines — was that vote really that crazy?
The 2025 NFL MVP race went down as one of the most talked-about award fights in recent memory — not because of the winner itself, but because of how it came down. When Matthew Stafford was crowned the NFL’s Most Valuable Player at the NFL Honors ceremony, he did so by the slimmest of margins, edging out Drake Maye by just one point. But what truly set social media aflame was the fact that one voter — and only one — put Justin Herbert in the top spot, a move that many fans and pundits now argue literally cost Maye the award.
Here’s why the entire football world is buzzing about a single MVP vote.
Not Your Usual MVP Contender
Herbert’s 2025 season was remarkable in its own right. Despite playing behind a terrible offensive line that was routinely flagged as the worst in the league, he still managed to keep the Los Angeles Chargers competitive and — at times — magical. Herbert’s deep ball accuracy, clutch improvisation and sheer toughness turned nail-biting losses into winnable games and kept the Chargers in the playoff conversation much longer than expected. Considering the adversity he faced, it’s not insane to argue he was highly valuable to his team — even if his raw stats didn’t match those of Maye or Stafford.
Sam Monson’s Vote and Explanation
The vote itself came from NFL analyst Sam Monson, who later took to X to own up to the controversial pick. In his post, Monson laid out his thinking plainly, “the guy had the worst offensive line in the NFL all season and despite that he was working miracles in almost every single game. Stafford’s OL became 2/5ths as bad as Herbert’s for 5 minutes and he became a turnover howitzer. He embodied ‘value’.”
Monson doubled down in replies, emphasizing that MVP isn’t just about gaudy stats — it’s about value, and that Herbert’s ability to elevate a struggling offense, week after week, deserved recognition even if it didn’t produce the traditional numbers voters usually gravitate toward. He also pushed back on the idea that one ballot “ruined” someone’s career or legacy, pointing out that this was an especially murky year where no clear consensus MVP emerged.
The Backlash and the Debate
Reaction was immediate. Patriots fans — and even some neutral observers — were not thrilled that Herbert’s lone vote seemingly tipped the scales away from Drake Maye, whose electrifying second season had Patriots supporters dreaming of MVP glory. Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports even lashed out at Monson on X, accusing him of overthinking the ballot and snatching the award from Maye’s grasp.
Critics argue that while Herbert’s grit is undeniable, the MVP award traditionally honors peak performance in a given season — and both Stafford and Maye outperformed Herbert statistically. They say Monson’s choice, while well-intentioned, highlighted the subjectivity inherent in MVP voting and sparked questions about just what “value” should mean in this context.
A Thoughtful Take — Not a Crazy One
So was it crazy for Herbert to get an MVP vote? Only if you define “crazy” as being out of touch with the broader challenges he overcame. Herbert might not have led the league in passing yards or touchdowns, but he played some of the most inspired football of his career under conditions that would have derailed a lesser quarterback. That’s a legitimate lens through which value can — and arguably should — be evaluated.
In a year where the MVP conversation was razor-thin and wildly subjective, one contrarian vote became the flashpoint. Whether you agree with Monson or not, his argument forces a deeper conversation: Is the MVP award about elite production, sheer dominance or about lifting your team higher than the circumstances would suggest? And that nuance — not just the drama — is what makes this story so fascinating.