Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford won his first MVP award this year in his 17th NFL season. It was a culmination of a truly dominant season, capped off with a league-leading 46 touchdown passes and 4,707 yards.
While Stafford didn’t take the Rams to the Super Bowl for the second time in his career, the veteran fortified his legacy as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history.
Stafford’s MVP award did set an NFL record, though. At 37 years and 331 days old, Stafford became the oldest player in league history to win his first MVP award. He passed Rich Gannon, who had just turned 37 when he won his first MVP in 2002 in his 15th season.
Stafford also became the third-oldest first-time MVP among the four major American sports (NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL), according to Opta Stats.
However, Stafford isn’t the oldest MVP in NFL history. Including Gannon, Stafford is tied with Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Y.A. Tittle for the third-oldest MVP in history. Tom Brady is the oldest player to be named MVP when he won it at age 40 in 2017. Rodgers won his second of back-to-back MVPs when he was 38 in 2021.
Stafford does have a chance to tie Rodgers, though, if he wins MVP again in 2026. He announced he is returning to the Rams this season after much speculation of a potential retirement.
