​A quarterback has won each of the last 13 NFL MVP awards, and Adrian Peterson in 2012 remains the last non-quarterback to claim it. That math narrows the field before a single throw.  Matthew Stafford took last year’s trophy by the third-closest margin in the award’s history, edging Drake Maye by one first-place vote, and the previous winner almost never repeats. That leaves the quarterbacks on the rosters best equipped to win 11+ games, the win threshold nearly every modern MVP has cleared.Roster reinforcement, offensive scheme, and the health of the passer separate the real contenders from the names filling out the field.  Five quarterbacks check every box as camps open, and each carries a case built on returning production, offseason additions, and a schedule that keeps them in the January conversation.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMORE: Top 7 quarterbacks in the NFL entering 2026-2027 seasonBuffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) smiles while warming up before the Buffalo Bills wild card game against the Denver Broncos at Highmark StadiumAllen chases his second MVP in three seasons after winning in 2024 and finishing third in last year’s vote. He closed 2025 with 4,247 total yards and 39 total touchdowns and was the only player in the NFL with 3,000+ passing yards and 500+ rushing yards. His 104.3 passer rating topped the mark from his MVP season.The Bills traded a second-round pick to Chicago for DJ Moore, giving Allen his first established No. 1 receiver since Buffalo dealt Stefon Diggs before the 2024 season.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMoore reunites with Joe Brady, his offensive coordinator in Carolina, who takes over as Buffalo’s head coach after the team fired Sean McDermott following a Divisional Round exit. Buffalo returns nearly all of its 2025 starters, which means the Brady promotion and the Moore addition are the two changes voters will weigh most. The receiver depth behind Moore remains thin, with Khalil Shakir and second-year receiver Keon Coleman carrying the rest of the perimeter workload.Jackson, a two-time MVP, already came one vote shy of a second unanimous award in 2024. He opened 2025 on an MVP pace with 969 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and one interception through four weeks before a hamstring injury against Kansas City derailed the season, and Baltimore missed the playoffs.New offensive coordinator Declan Doyle, at 29 the youngest coordinator in the league, installs a play-action-heavy scheme that aligns with the part of Jackson’s game that grades out best.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBaltimore hired Jesse Minter to replace John Harbaugh, who left for the New York Giants, marking Jackson’s first season without Harbaugh and a nearly complete coaching turnover. The front office rebuilt the guard spots in front of him and added Trey Hendrickson to a pass rush that ranked among the league’s worst a year ago, joining All-Pro defenders Kyle Hamilton and Roquan Smith.The open que