Eight weeks down, 10 to go and one clear front-runner for the MVP race.
The 2026 regular season is already almost halfway over. The Super Bowl favorites and NFL playoff picture are becoming clearer, and with them, the clarity of who the real contenders are for some of the end-of-season awards.
Plenty of football remains, but as things stand, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills are standing tall. The 2024 MVP is a massive betting favorite to win a second in three years, and the Bills are the betting favorites to win the AFC.
But power rankings don't directly reflect betting odds. A big week from a player or two can displace the front-runner, if only briefly. Here's how the full list of 10 players – plus the usual pair of honorable mentions – shakes
out before Week 9 (with previous ranks in parentheses):
NFL MVP power rankings Week 9
1. QB Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (1)
Did the intro throw you off? Or maybe it was the promo image from this piece featuring someone else. Either way, sorry about that. Once again, Allen stands at the top of the MVP power rankings. No other player has held the No. 1 spot for as many weeks as Allen so far.
He nearly gave up the top spot with a shaky first half against a middling Ravens pass defense: 8-for-19 (42% completion rate) with 112 yards and an interception (plus a rushing touchdown). In the second half, Allen returned to form in a big way. He went 13-for-15 (86.7%) and tossed for 177 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Bills to a third straight win.
Allen is the NFL leader in yards per attempt (8.7) and yards per completion (13.3) and has been responsible for 20 touchdowns this year – 11 passing, nine rushing. He also leads all quarterbacks with 270 rushing yards through seven games.
2. QB Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals (2)
If not for his three interceptions in a near-loss to the Tennessee Titans at home, Burrow would have easily taken the top spot on this list. The Bengals' quarterback tossed five touchdowns, rushed for a sixth and finished the day with 462 passing yards – his second 400-yard game this season.
Burrow now leads the NFL with 20 passing yards, and his two rushing touchdowns this year – including a game-winner in Week 8 – put him above Allen for the league lead in total touchdowns. His 73% completion rate leads the league, as do his 302.1 passing yards per game.
That said, Burrow's three interceptions in the game let the one-win Titans stick around long enough to force overtime. Tennessee only scored on one of their three possessions that followed those picks thanks to strong defensive efforts, but Burrow doubling his interception total for the season in one game – including one on a horrible underthrow – is too tough a look to excuse.
3. QB Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars (3)
One thing about Lawrence this season: he's going to throw multiple touchdowns. Turns out, that's true even when he throws fewer than 15 times.
Jacksonville dominated the Colts in Week 8 for the first of two divisional matchups between the AFC South teams. That meant a lot more rush attempts for the Jaguars' game script, but it didn't stop Lawrence from making an impact with his arm. The former No. 1 overall pick completed 10 of 14 passes (71.4% completion rate) for 210 yards and three touchdowns.
Lawrence couldn't keep up his streak of 300-yard games, but he's now up to three straight games with multiple touchdowns. He's also on a stretch of four multi-touchdown games in his last five outings, and he has five multi-touchdown games in his seven showings this year. That has him leading the NFL in TD% (8.6%) and passer rating (112.6).
4. QB Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (4)
No game for Purdy and the 49ers this week as they enjoyed their bye. That means no change for Purdy in the power rankings as his strong start to the season props him up near the top despite a rough day against the Falcons in Week 7.
Despite his week off, Purdy still leads the NFL in success rate (56.4%), per Pro Football Reference. His 69.2% completion rate is third in the NFL, his 15 touchdowns are tied for fifth, and his 8.3 yards per attempt are tied for fourth. Notably, the 49ers are fourth in points per game through Week 8 and are the current favorites to win the Super Bowl. Not so bad for a former Mr. Irrelevant.
5. QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears (7)
Williams is surging up the MVP power rankings with every passing week. The Bears' quarterback got off to a white-hot start in Week 1 before falling out of the top 10 after a middling Week 2 outing and a hamstring injury. The three games since have been outstanding, and the third-year quarterback is suddenly among favorites to win MVP.
Williams had two straight 300-yard outings in his return from the hamstring ailment, but he faced a tougher defense in Week 8: the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks' "Dark Side" defense. Well, like Atlanta and New England before it, Seattle got torn up by Williams and head coach/offensive play-caller Ben Johnson.
The Bears' signal-caller went 24-for-34 on pass attempts – a 70.6% completion rate, his third-best mark this season – for 247 passing yards and a touchdown. Williams became the first quarterback to throw for more than 200 yards against the Seahawks this season in Chicago's big "Monday Night Football" win. The Bears have also shot up the overall NFL power rankings as a result of his excellent play.
6. QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (5)
Mahomes and the Chiefs' second straight loss knocked them out of first place, and the two-time MVP slipped down the power rankings. However, Mahomes' 73.2% completion rate, 321 yards, three touchdowns and a season-high 120.1 passer rating meant he didn't fall very far. It was an impressive bounce-back performance for the Chiefs' star quarterback after his bad outing against the Seahawks in Week 7.
One interesting trend to watch ahead of the NFL trade deadline is how Tyquan Thornton's absence (ankle injury) has affected Mahomes' ability to throw the deep ball. In the early weeks of the season, Mahomes looked like his vintage self, with his average depth of target (ADOT) sitting at 7.4 yards in those games, per Pro Football Focus. In the three games since Thornton's injury, Mahomes' ADOT was just 5.2.
7. QB Drake Maye, New England Patriots (6)
Good teams are supposed to beat lesser opponents, so it was a good sign that Maye and the Patriots took care of the Dolphins after trailing by 10 at the half. The quarterback's steady performance despite the scoring deficit was a big reason why.
Maye finished with a 16-of-20 line (80%) and 199 yards with two touchdowns. He also rushed for a touchdown late in the third quarter to take the lead back for the Patriots. Last year's NFL MVP runner-up has turned things around after an underwhelming start to 2026. He's third in the league in yards per attempt (8.5) and tied for fifth in passing touchdowns (15).
8. RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions (9)
Gibbs is having a great season through eight weeks, and these last three weeks have been an especially phenomenal stretch. The Lions' rising star running back is up to three straight games with more than 100 rushing yards. In two of the last three games, he has more than 150 yards and a touchdown.
Gibbs' 153 yards on 23 attempts (6.7 yards per attempt) against the Vikings' outstanding defense in Week 8 was a major reason the Lions handed Minnesota its first loss.
After Kenneth Walker and Bijan Robinson dominated the early MVP conversation among non-QBs, Gibbs has taken over the mantle. The Lions' lead back is atop the NFL with 110.4 yards per game and tied for the top spot in the league with 10 touchdowns from scrimmage. His 4.9 yards per carry rank 10th.
9. QB Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (8)
Gibbs was Detroit's shining star in Week 8, but Goff had a solid game of his own to complement the run game. Though he threw his first interception of the year, he was otherwise excellent, finishing 18-of-25 (72%) with 176 yards and a touchdown.
Goff has been quietly outstanding this year. His 176 yards were a season-low against the Vikings' top-rated defense in Week 8, but he's still third in the NFL with 280.6 yards per game. Goff also ranks fifth in completion rate (67.7%), is tied for fifth with 15 touchdowns and is fourth in Pro Football Reference's success rate metric (51.5%).
Gibbs' excellence has helped Goff succeed off of play-action passes, as the Lions deploy play fakes at one of the highest rates in the NFL. The Lions' quarterback's lack of eye-popping throws at the rate of Williams or Mahomes, his lack of rushing heroics like Allen, and the exceptionally strong cast of playmakers around him all take away from his MVP case.
10. WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks (HM)
He's clearly the MVP of his team. Can Smith-Njigba continue to make a case for MVP of the league, becoming the first wide receiver to win the award? His 2026 performance so far is an excellent start. The reigning Offensive Player of the Year is 15 yards shy of 1,000 this season in just eight games. He's had more than 100 yards in seven out of eight games, and he's scored at least one touchdown in six of those outings.
The Seahawks lost in Week 8 as their offense mustered just 252 yards – yet Smith-Njigba still tallied 118 of those yards. He also scored a touchdown. The "Monday Night Football" loss made it exceptionally clear that Seattle's offense runs through the young wideout. The Bears limiting Smith-Njigba to start the second half is what allowed Chicago to really pull away as the rest of the Seahawks' offense sputtered.
Honorable mention: QB Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers
The Packers have been completely incapable of running the football – even since Josh Jacobs' return from the commissioner's exempt list. They're averaging just 60.6 rush yards per game and 2.8 yards per carry. That's what makes Love's performance through eight weeks so critical in getting Green Bay to 5-3 and on the right side of the playoff picture.
Against the Panthers on "Thursday Night Football" in Week 8, he threw for 288 yards on 30-of-41, with three touchdowns and an interception. Love leads the NFL with 2,246 passing yards and ranks second with 280.8 yards per game.
Honorable mention: QB Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Last year's NFL MVP isn't quite on pace to repeat as the league's most prestigious award winner, but he's having a solid season. His 204 completions lead the NFL, his 2,146 passing yards rank second, and his 15 touchdown passes are tied for fifth – though eight interceptions are tied for fourth-most.
Stafford's spot on this list as an honorable mention is more an acknowledgment of his solid overall play than a reflection of a great Week 8 outing. His 157 yards against the Chargers was the second-lowest total this season, and he also threw an interception in his second straight game. At least the Rams are back up to .500 with their 4-4 record.
NFL MVP odds
Here's how betting odds for the NFL MVP award look through three weeks of the 2026 season, according to DraftKings Sportsbook as of Nov. 4.
- QB Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills: +165
- QB Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers: +450
- QB Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals: +475
- QB Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears: +500
- QB Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars: +950
- QB Drake Maye, New England Patriots: +1500
- QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs: +1700
- QB Jordan Love, Green Bay Packers: +2500
- QB Jared Goff, Detroit Lions: +3000
- RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions/WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks: +6000
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL MVP power rankings Week 9: Did Joe Burrow take the lead in MVP race?
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