Sunday’s blockbuster divisional-round game between the Bills and Ravens features the top-two contenders for NFL MVP, but it won’t decide the award.
Because of the way MVP voting is timed, the results are already in — they just won’t be known until February, when Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson each hope they will be busy preparing for Super Bowl 59.
The MVP is far from the minds of Allen and Jackson right now. Both quarterbacks are two wins away from their first trip to the Super Bowl, but the path forward requires a win over their fellow MVP frontrunner before a potential matchup with the vaunted Chiefs.
Since it won’t be decided Sunday, here’s what you need to know about how the MVP race works and who determines the winner.
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How does NFL MVP voting work?
As of 2022, the 50 NFL MVP voters get to put five players on their ballots. The final total is tallied based on a point system, with first place votes weighed the most heavily:
| Vote | Points |
| First place | 10 |
| Second place | 5 |
| Third place | 3 |
| Fourth place | 2 |
| Fifth place | 1 |
Before 2022, each voter only cast one first place vote. That left the race susceptible to ties if, for example, two players evenly split the 50 votes or simply finished with the same number of votes.
With the point system in place, first place votes will still likely decide most races, but close races like this season’s could come down to second or third place votes.
Who votes on NFL MVP awards?
50 media members vote for the NFL MVP award. The Associated Press refers to the group as a “nationwide panel of media.”
While votes aren’t public, the decision isn’t put in the hands of writers alone. Cris Collinsworth, Troy Aikman and Tony Dungy are among media members who have voted for the award in the past, so a wide array of individuals in NFL media have a say.
Ultimately, though, it’s a small group of voters. While the Heisman Trophy is decided by just under 1,000 voters, the NFL MVP comes down to a fraction of that total — though it’s still larger than MLB’s MVP awards, which are both decided by a different block of 30 voters.
NFL MVP voting deadline
NFL MVP voters were required to submit their votes before the start of the playoffs, though the exact date is unclear. While the winner won’t be announced until Feb. 6, voting is complete.
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Why don’t NFL playoffs count for MVP voting?
Most professional sports leagues base their MVP award(s) off the regular season alone. For example, voting for NBA, NHL and both MLB MVP awards is done before the playoffs, just like the NFL. Even the Heisman Trophy is awarded before the College Football Playoff.
By completing voting before the playoffs, the league ensures the MVP is a regular season award and eliminates any recency bias that may come with a player leading his team to a championship.
Has there been a tie in NFL MVP voting?
There have been at least two ties in NFL MVP voting. Steve McNair and Peyton Manning were named co-MVPs after finishing with the same number of votes in 2003. And six years earlier, Brett Favre and Barry Sanders found themselves in the same circumstances. While they earned the co-MVP label, both players were credited with an MVP award each year.
The only other potential tie occurred in 1960, but a lack of voting data leaves the result uncertain. Norm Van Brocklin is widely credited as that season’s winner, but the AP sometimes says he shared the award with Lions LB Joe Schmidt.
Because of the format change in 2022 introducing down-ballot votes, ties are extremely unlikely moving forward.
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NFL MVP voting history
Here’s a complete look at NFL MVP voting history in the Super Bowl era (note: 1975 vote totals are not publicly available).
| Year | Winner (pts) | Runner-up (pts) | 3rd place (pts) |
| 2023 | Lamar Jackson (493) | Dak Prescott (152) | Christian McCaffrey (147) |
| 2022 | Patrick Mahomes (490) | Jalen Hurts (193) | Josh Allen (151) |
| 2021 | Aaron Rodgers (39) | Tom Brady (10) | Cooper Kupp (1) |
| 2020 | Aaron Rodgers (44) | Josh Allen (4) | Patrick Mahomes (2) |
| 2019 | Lamar Jackson (50) | ||
| 2018 | Patrick Mahomes (41) | Drew Brees (9) | |
| 2017 | Tom Brady (40) | Todd Gurley (8) | Carson Wentz (2) |
| 2016 | Matt Ryan (25) | Tom Brady (10) | Derek Carr (6) |
| 2015 | Cam Newton (48) | Tom Brady (1) | Carson Palmer (1) |
| 2014 | Aaron Rodgers (31) | J.J. Watt (13) | 2 tied (2) |
| 2013 | Peyton Manning (49) | Tom Brady (1) | |
| 2012 | Adrian Peterson (30.5) | Peyton Manning (19.5) | |
| 2011 | Aaron Rodgers (48) | Drew Brees (2) | |
| 2010 | Tom Brady (50) | ||
| 2009 | Peyton Manning (39.5) | Drew Brees (7.5) | Philip Rivers (2) |
| 2008 | Peyton Manning (32) | Chad Pennington (4) | Michael Turner (4) |
| 2007 | Tom Brady (49) | Brett Favre (1) | |
| 2006 | LaDainian Tomlinson (44) | Drew Brees (4) | Peyton Manning (2) |
| 2005 | Shaun Alexander (19) | Peyton Manning (13) | Tom Brady (10) |
| 2004 | Peyton Manning (47) | Michael Vick (1) | |
| 2003 | Peyton Manning (16), Steve McNair (16) | Tom Brady (8) | |
| 2002 | Rich Gannon (19) | Brett Favre (15) | Steve McNair (11) |
| 2001 | Kurt Warner (21.5) | Marshall Faulk (17.5) | Brett Favre (5) |
| 2000 | Marshall Faulk (24) | Donovan McNabb (11) | Eddie George (8) |
| 1999 | Kurt Warner (33) | Marshall Faulk (8) | Peyton Manning (8) |
| 1998 | Terrell Davis (25) | Randall Cunningham (14) | 2 tied (4) |
| 1997 | Brett Favre (18), Barry Sanders (18) | Terrell Davis (4) | |
| 1996 | Brett Favre (52) | John Elway (33.5) | Terrell Davis (5.5) |
| 1995 | Brett Favre (69) | Jerry Rice (10) | Emmitt Smith (7) |
| 1994 | Steve Young (74) | Barry Sanders (22) | 2 tied (1) |
| 1993 | Emmitt Smith (26) | Steve Young (21) | Jerry Rice (15) |
| 1992 | Steve Young (56) | Barry Foster (11) | Emmitt Smith (10) |
| 1991 | Thurman Thomas (39) | Jim Kelly (18) | Barry Sanders (16) |
| 1990 | Joe Montana (26) | Randall Cunningham (18) | Warren Moon (16) |
| 1989 | Joe Montana (62) | Don Majkowski (6) | Keith Millard (2) |
| 1988 | Boomer Esiason (31) | Randall Cunningham (21) | Roger Craig (17) |
| 1987 | John Elway (36) | Jerry Rice (30) | Joe Montana (18) |
| 1986 | Lawrence Taylor (41) | Eric Dickerson (17) | Dan Marino (9) |
| 1985 | Marcus Allen (33) | Walter Payton (25) | |
| 1984 | Dan Marino (52) | Eric Dickerson (18) | |
| 1983 | Joe Theismann (58) | Eric Dickerson (18) | Dan Marino (3) |
| 1982 | Mark Moseley (35) | Dan Fouts (33) | Marcus Allen (6) |
| 1981 | Ken Anderson (46) | Joe Montana (15) | Tony Dorsett (14) |
| 1980 | Brian Sipe (47) | Earl Campbell (22) | 2 tied (4) |
| 1979 | Earl Campbell (34) | Dan Fouts (27) | Brian Sipe (7) |
| 1978 | Terry Bradshaw (36) | Earl Campbell (33) | Jim Zorn (6) |
| 1977 | Walter Payton (57) | Bob Griese (10) | Craig Morton (10) |
| 1976 | Bert Jones (41) | Jack Lambert (19) | Ken Stabler (16) |
| 1975 | Fran Tarkenton | O.J. Simpson | Terry Metcalf |
| 1974 | Ken Stabler (36) | Terry Metcalf (10) | Chuck Foreman (5) |
| 1973 | O.J. Simpson (74) | John Hadl (2) | Harold Jackson (2) |
| 1972 | Larry Brown (45) | Earl Morrall (10) | 2 tied (4) |
| 1971 | Alan Page (16) | Roger Staubach (10) | Otis Taylor (10) |
| 1970 | John Brodie (33) | George Blanda (27) | 2 tied (3) |
| 1969 | Roman Gabriel (21.3) | Joe Kapp (8.3) | Carl Eller (7) |
| 1968 | Earl Morrall (33) | Leroy Kelly (5) | Bill Nelsen (4) |
| 1967 | Johnny Unitas (40) | Deacon Jones (3) | 2 tied (2) |
| 1966 | Bart Starr (19) | Larry Wilson (6) | Don Meredith (4) |
