Patrick Mahomes Ahead of Baker Mayfield in MVP Race Despite 3-3 Start to the Season

Baker Mayfield has become one of the leading MVP contenders for the year, throwing for the 4th best passing yards and 3rd best in touchdowns.

Patrick Mahomes Ahead of Baker Mayfield in MVP Race Despite 3-3 Start to the Season

Patrick Mahomes, Baker Mayfield (Images via Fox News)

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The National Football League has almost completed one-third of the 2025-26 regular season. The league dynamics are set every week, with a few teams gaining a competitive advantage while others have fallen off. In the meantime, the MVP (Most Valuable Player) race has also gained some heat with some packed performances from several players this week.

The MVP odds are led by Josh Allen, who soared to the position following a late-minute comeback against the Baltimore Ravens. According to FD Sportsbook, Allen is currently followed by Patrick Mahomes, who secured a win against the Detroit Lions with a stellar performance, throwing for 257 yards and three touchdowns while completing 73.3% of the passes.

Mahomes has accounted for 1,514 yards and 11 touchdowns so far this season. Baker Mayfield and Drake Maye have more numbers than Mahomes and a better team record than the Kansas City Chiefs. But both of these players are behind Mahomes in the MVP race. On top of that, Mahomes matched one of the worst starts of his career with 2-3 in Week 5, the second time in his career.

Particularly, Mayfield has been spectacular in the last few games. Mayfield has registered 1,539 passing yards, averaging 7.9 yards per attempt. He is fourth in the league in passing yards and has thrown 12 touchdowns, the third-most by any quarterback this season. His exceptional ability to come through in clutch plays in the last minutes has won the Buccaneers multiple games this season.

The Sunday late afternoon game was yet another outing that cemented his status as a prime quarterback. After the win against the San Francisco 49ers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers soared to a 5-1 record and now lead the NFC South. NFL.com columnist Jeffri Chadiha wrote that no discussion is required to select the MVP based on the first six weeks. He named Mayfield a clear winner.

Here are the standings, as shared by sportcaster Kay Adams:

  • Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills, +140)
  • Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs, +270)
  • Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, +470)
  • Jared Goff (Detroit Lions, +1500)
  • Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers, +1500)
  • Drake Maye (New England Patriots, +1600)

Baker Mayfield set records in the Week 6 game against the San Francisco 49ers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback set a few milestones in the win against the San Francisco 49ers while powering his team to a 30-19 win, completing 17 of 23 passes for 256 yards and two touchdowns.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield
Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield (Image via Imago)

The Oklahoma Sooners product made franchise history when he threw a third-quarter touchdown pass to wideout Tez Johnson. He surpassed former quarterback Josh Freeman, who played from 2009 to 2013 for the Bucs, in touchdown passes. Mayfield, with 80 of those, is only third to Tom Brady (108) and Jameis Winston (121) for most in Bucs history.

Mayfield became the third quarterback to record more than 80 passing touchdowns in their first forty starts after changing teams. The other two to have done this are Peyton Manning and Brady. That’s quite an elite list of quarterbacks to be part of. While Manning shone with the Denver Broncos after his era in Indianapolis, Brady did the same for the Bucs after winning six championships for the New England Patriots.

The task at hand for Mayfield would be to focus on the next game, one against the Detroit Lions. The Lions, desperate to bounce back from the loss on Sunday night, are still one of the highest-scoring offenses in the league. They will be a tough opponent, but a win against the Lions would solidify the MVP status for the quarterback as well as put them one step closer to a championship.

Also Read: (Video) Brian Branch Slaps JuJu Smith-Schuster Moments After Refusing to Shake Hands With Patrick Mahomes