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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
The Kansas City Chiefs got back on track with a come-from-behind win over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, climbing back into the playoff picture after slipping out the previous week.
But the win may not have been enough to put quarterback Patrick Mahomes back on track for a major career accomplishment. The onetime MVP favorite has since seen his fortunes plummet, putting him on the fringes of the race while another veteran quarterback seizes control.
Patrick Mahomes Losing Pace on Historic Achievement
The two-time NFL MVP once had a shot a third, surging near the top of the odds for this year’s award when the Chiefs win five out of six games to reach 5-3 this season. The team has gone 1-2 since then, sinking the odds for Mahomes.
SI.com writer Peter Dewey noted that it has since become a two-man race with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford taking a commanding lead.
“Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has taken the mantle as the clear-cut MVP favorite after another dominant showing in Week 12 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football,” Dewey wrote.
“Only Stafford (-210) and New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (+180) have shorter than 16/1 odds to win the award, a sign that oddsmakers view this as a two-player race through the first 12 weeks of the 2025 season.”
Mahomes is in fifth place at 25-to-1 odds, though Dewey suggested the Chiefs quarterback may be undervalued. He noted that Mahomes’ comeback over the AFC-leading Colts kept him in the race this week.
“While the Chiefs’ record (6-5) likely would disqualify Mahomes from an MVP conversation, he’s still put up impressive numbers for a player down at +2500 to win the award. Mahomes has 2,977 passing yards, 18 scores and just seven picks this season while also rushing for 318 yards and an additional four scores,” Dewey wrote.
Chiefs Back in the Hunt After Huge Win
Mahomes likely cares little about his MVP odds, remaining focused on getting the three-time defending AFC Champions back in the playoff picture. The Chiefs made a big move with Sunday’s win, jumping back into a wild card spot and remaining within range of making a run at the division if the Denver Broncos should stumble down the final stretch.
One week after the Chiefs went three-and-out of each of their final two drives in a loss to the Broncos, Mahomes instead caught on fire late in the game. He led the team back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter and then to a game-winning field goal drive in overtime.
After the game, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid gave Mahomes credit for not backing down and said the coaching staff called an aggressive game.
“Listen, he kept firing, which the great ones do,” Reid said. “[Nagy] dialed up some stuff that was right in his wheelhouse, and he did a great job with all of that. [Pass Game Coordinator] Joe Bleymaier — and I mean all of the guys — contributed on it, but the coordinator was on fire today. He did a good job.”
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
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