After starting the first three weeks of the season with 10 candidates, we are now going to keep it concise to just five players. Later in the season, we will narrow it down to three.
So here's how our MVP tracker stacks up after Week 7!
Baker Mayfield, who ranked No. 1 last week, fell off the board after a rough game against the Detroit Lions.
Sam Darnold also fell off the board from the No. 5 spot.
1. Drake Maye (QB) - New England Patriots
Maye leads all other MVP candidates in four of the top five major stat categories. His total yards (1,944) are the most, while his 75.2% completion percentage ranks the best in all of football.
He's coming off back-to-back games with at least a 135.0 passer rating, making it six straight weeks with a passer rating above 100.0.
Maye's seasonal 116.4 passer rating ties Lions QB Jared Goff for the best in the NFL (technically second behind Lamar Jackson's 130.5, who hasn't played the past two weeks).
His two turnovers also tie Bucs QB Baker Mayfield for the fewest among QB MVP candidates. Now, the Patriots have put up the sixth-most points in the NFL and lead the AFC East with a 5-2 record - the second-best in the conference.
His adjusted completion percentage (which accounts for his receivers dropping catchable passes) was 95.5% in Week 7 - that's the rest fans need to know to understand just how incredible Maye has been.
The only thing he doesn't lead in is total touchdowns (14), which can change in a single week.
He moves up from No. 2 last week.
2. Matthew Stafford (QB) - Los Angeles Rams
Stafford leads the league in passing touchdowns (17), second in total behind Patrick Mahomes (18). He's now gone four straight weeks without a single turnover and 12 touchdowns.
This past week, he joined Goff as the only two quarterbacks to throw for five touchdowns in a game this season. Stafford sits just 78 yards behind Maye and has led the Rams to 175 points, just six behind the Patriots.
He's only thrown for 181 and 182 yards the past two weeks and is still the No. 3 passer in the league. With the Rams at 5-2, there's definitely a strong case for Stafford as a top MVP candidate heading into Week 8.
He moves up from No. 3 last week.
3. Daniel Jones (QB) - Indianapolis Colts
It's hard not to put the quarterback of the AFC's No. 1 team in our top five MVP candidates. Even if Jones doesn't lead any of the other QB candidates on this list, and ones off of it, in major statistical categories, he's still putting up MVP-worthy numbers.
Indy is second in passing yards per game (380.3) because of Jones, and they're now the No. 1 scoring team in the NFL heading into the new week.
He's fifth in passing yards (1,790) and just behind Maye in total yards (1,873). He has 14 total touchdowns with just three interceptions and a 105.9 passer rating.
He's recorded over a 101.0 passer rating in six of the seven games this season. And after throwing at least one touchdown in the first four games, he's now thrown at least two in the previous three, seven in total (one rushing).
Jones deserves to be back on the list after not being here last week.
Jones moves into the third spot after being just outside the top five last week.
4. Jonathan Taylor (RB) - Indianapolis Colts
The NFL's leading rusher with 697 yards - nobody else has more than 600 - who also leads the league with 11 touchdowns from scrimmage - nobody else has more than eight.
Anyone arguing that Taylor shouldn't be in MVP considerations on the No. 1-ranked AFC team with the No. 1-ranked scoring offence shouldn't be involved in said conversation in the first place.
He's coming off a week where he put up three touchdowns - his third time this season. That's more games with three touchdowns by himself than the New York Jets have (2) as a team this season.
Taylor is heading into Week 8 after back-to-back games with 125 total yards and one touchdown, averaging 5.9 yards per carry in both games.
He's an MVP candidate - plain and simple. He remains at No. 4.
5. Jared Goff (QB) - Detroit Lions
Outside of passing yards, Goff has every reason to now be in the MVP discussions. He doesn't have the yards other QBs do, but Goff has just about everything else to be considered.
Detroit is 5-2 behind the No. 3 scoring offence in the league. Yes, Goff has a plethora of talent around him that he'll never have again in his career, but at some point he deserves the respect.
Goff is tied with Maye for the best passer rating. He's second to Maye in completion percentage (74.9%). And his 15 passing touchdowns are second to just Stafford among the top QB MVP candidates.
He's only had one game this season where he had double-digit incompletion - against the No. 2-ranked defence of the Cleveland Browns.
Goff isn't coming off his best game against an average Bucs defence, but he still managed to throw for more yards than Mayfield on eight fewer completions and 21 fewer passing attempts, going 20-29 for 241 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
So No. 5 on this list seems suitable for Goff for the time being and his first entry of the season.