Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees highlighted Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba as a deserving candidate in the NFL MVP race during a CBS Sports interview. Brees also praised New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford for their outstanding play this season. Smith-Njigba leads the league with 1,041 receiving yards through 10 weeks.
In a recent one-on-one interview with CBS Sports, Drew Brees discussed the 2025 NFL MVP race, noting several standout performers. "There's a lot of guys that are playing some outstanding football," Brees said. He specifically commended Drake Maye for making huge leaps from last year and Matthew Stafford for playing outstanding football.
Brees turned attention to the Seattle Seahawks, who have started the season 7-2 under second-year coach Mike Macdonald. He suggested that third-year wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba merits strong consideration. "I look at what the Seattle Seahawks are doing right now. You know, if [Jaxon Smith-Njigba] isn't an MVP candidate, he's certainly Offensive Player of the Year, right? I think those are some good names," Brees stated.
Smith-Njigba is enjoying a breakout season, leading the NFL with 1,041 receiving yards and on pace to surpass Calvin Johnson's single-season record of 1,964. However, history poses a challenge: no wide receiver has ever won the NFL MVP award. In 1987, Jerry Rice caught 22 touchdowns in 12 games during the strike-shortened season but lost to Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway. The last non-quarterback MVP was Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson in 2012.
Brees also spoke positively about Stafford, who at 37 is having arguably his best season. Stafford has reached 400 touchdown passes, the ninth quarterback to do so, and eclipsed 60,000 passing yards, the 10th to achieve that milestone. "I think he still has some great years ahead of him," Brees said. "He's in a place now with some really incredible talent around him, a great head coach in Sean McVay and a great system that just fits his strengths."
Context from rookie quarterback evaluations underscores the competitive MVP landscape. Drake Maye has earned an A+ grade on his rookie deal, serving as a co-favorite for MVP and leading the Patriots to improved performance, though he has taken 35 sacks, second-most in the league.