New York City rolled out the red carpet as the country’s top athletes from different sports came together for a star-studded celebration at the ESPYs Awards on July 15. From the biggest superstars in the NFL and NBA to soccer heroes and Olympic medalists, the event hosted by ESPN featured athletes from every major sport imaginable, nominated in various categories.
Among the most recognizable faces from the NFL was the former Detroit Lions and current Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who received multiple nominations following a remarkable MVP season. The 38-year-old was among the four athletes in the men’s ‘Best Athletes’ category.
Besides the reigning NFL MVP, the other nominated athletes were the Argentine and Inter Miami soccer star Lionel Messi, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, and the New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson, who won the NBA Finals MVP this year.
In the end, it was the NBA star walking out with the honor. As a matter of fact, Brunson added two more accolades to his name last night: Best Championship Performance and Best NBA Player, whereas his team also clinched the Best Team award, ending the night on a perfect note.
Brunson, Messi, and Ohtani— all won the respective leagues of their sports, but Stafford did not win or reach Super Bowl LX, yet won a nomination. Here is why.
Why Matthew Stafford Had a Nomination
Even though the former Lions QB1 ended the season after reaching the NFC Championship game with the Rams, he had an unforgettable season. At 37, he won his first NFL MVP award after spending 17 seasons in the big league. He narrowly edged out the Patriots QB Drake Maye, who reached the Super Bowl.
Moreover, he unlocked a new gear late in his career. While he failed to take his franchise to the Super Bowl, he dominated the regular season, logging the highest passing yards among the quarterbacks, which played a key role in his MVP win. He had a total of 4,707 passing yards, which was closely followed by the Lions’ Jared Goff, who had 4,564 passing yards despite missing the postseason berth.
GettyMatthew Stafford for Lions
Other than the impressive passing yards, the 38-year-old set a unique record. He threw 46 touchdowns and had only 8 interceptions. With that, he cemented his legacy as only the third quarterback in NFL history to have at least 45 TDs while having fewer than 10 interceptions.
While Stafford came up short in this category, he faced the same outcome in another category.
Matthew Stafford also lost the ESPY’s Best NFL Player Award to Myles Garrett
Matthew Stafford also earned a nomination for the ESPY’s Best NFL Player Award alongside three other NFL stars. The other three players were the New England Patriots QB Darke Maye, the Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks’ wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and the former Cleveland Browns and current Rams star Myles Garrett.
It was the 2025 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett, who won the honor, beating his three counterparts. In a heartwarming twist, the DE’s girlfriend, Olympic snowboarding champion Chloe Kim, presented the award to Garrett, making the night even more memorable for him.
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