Stephen A. Smith says he'd vote for Matthew Stafford to win NFL MVP

Matthew Stafford's MVP candidacy just got a huge endorsement.

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith touted Stafford on a Monday episode of "First Take" and even admitted that he'd vote for Stafford to win NFL MVP if he had a vote based on what he's seen through 12 weeks of the NFL season.

"Matthew Stafford is simply elite. He's spectacular," Smith said. "If I had to give a vote for MVP right now, it would go to him. He's been that fantastic."

Now, Smith doesn't have an MVP vote. But his opinion holds weight among top NFL pundits. And Stafford's stats back up the claim, too. The Rams' quarterback has similar passing touchdowns to those of other quarterbacks the year they won MVP and Stafford leads the league with 30 touchdowns on a team that is atop the NFC standings.

Stafford is the clear front-runner for the MVP this year, and he should continue to be so long as the offense performs and the Rams keep winning.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Stephen A. Smith says he'd vote for Matthew Stafford to win NFL MVP