The NFL MVP race leveled up this season, with Lamar Jackson outperforming his own award-winning 2023 campaign but a handful of other contenders stepping up, as well.
Josh Allen spent much of the back half of the season as the MVP frontrunner, while Joe Burrow made a push of his own with an NFL-best 43 touchdown passes. Saquon Barkley, meanwhile, made a statement with a 2,000-yard rushing season in his first year with the Eagles.
The MVP race figures to come down to Jackson and Allen, but is there a scenario in which both of them share the award?
Here’s what you need to know about the history of MVP ties and why it’s unlikely to happen again this year.
SN’s PLAYOFFS HQ: Live NFL scores | Full NFL schedule | Updated NFL bracket
Has there ever been a tie in NFL MVP voting?
Three NFL MVP races have ended in a tie: 1960, 1997, and 2004. In each case, the award went to both players, and each was named a co-MVP. For historical purposes, the award still counts as a full MVP for each co-winner.
Here’s the complete history of NFL co-MVPs.
NFL history of co-MVPs
2003: Peyton Manning vs. Steve McNair
Peyton Manning’s first MVP came with a twist, as he won the award along with Titans QB Steve McNair.
Manning led the NFL in completion percentage and passing yards, tossing 29 touchdowns along with 10 interceptions while leading the Colts to 12 wins. McNair, meanwhile, cut down on interceptions and put together a strong year of his own, throwing for 3,215 yards, 24 touchdowns and, seven interceptions in a 12-4 season for Tennessee.
Ultimately, voters didn’t see one player separate himself in an MVP race that didn’t feature any eye-popping stats. Manning and McNair each received 16 votes, while Tom Brady was close behind with eight votes.
1997: Brett Favre vs. Barry Sanders
Lions RB Barry Sanders’ best season earned him his first MVP award, as he rushed for 2,053 yards and 11 touchdowns a year before his stunning retirement. He wasn’t alone, though.
Packers QB Brett Favre still won his third consecutive MVP along with Sanders, throwing for 3,867 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions while leading Green Bay to a 13-3 season.
Favre and Sanders each received 18 votes, finishing well ahead of the rest of the field and each taking home a share of the award.
MORE NFL PLAYOFFS:
1960: Norm Van Brocklin vs. Joe Schmidt
The 1960 MVP award is shrouded in some mystery, as Norm Van Brocklin is widely regarded as the winner but the AP sometimes claims Lions LB Joe Schmidt shared the award with Van Brocklin.
The season was Van Brocklin’s final in the NFL, but he impressed with a career-high 24 touchdown passes for the Eagles while leading Philadelphia to a 10-2 campaign. Much like some college football programs claim split national championships, though, the late Schmidt will go down as an MVP, as well, in some eyes.
How NFL MVP voting works in 2025
Fifty media members will cast a five-player ballot for MVP. Before 2022, each voter only put one player on their ballot, but the award is now determined by a point system.
A first-place vote counts for 10 points, while a second-place vote counts for five, a third-place vote counts for three, a fourth-place vote counts for two, and a fifth-place vote counts for one.
In a race with a clear-cut leader, down-ballot votes are unlikely to be much of a factor. In a race as close as this season’s, however, down-ballot votes could be the difference between a third MVP for Jackson or the first for Allen.
NFL DRAFT NEWS:
Could an NFL MVP tie happen again?
The changes enacted during the 2022 season make a tie much more unlikely than it once was.
Previously, the 50 MVP voters only got to put one player on their ballot. That meant if Jackson earned 25 votes and Allen did as well, for example, they would be named co-MVPs. Now, voters put five candidates on their ballot, and the votes are tallied based on a point system weighted for each spot. A first-place vote counts more than a second-place vote, and so on.
That doesn’t mean a tie is impossible, but it’s extraordinarily unlikely even in a close race.
