2025 NFL Honors: Who gained the league’s greatest awards?
Earlier than the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles meet at Caesars Superwomen New Orleans for Tremendous Bowl LIX (Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET, FOX), one of the best of the NFL gathered at Saenger Theatre for Thursday’s NFL Honors.
Buffalo Payments quarterback Josh Allen delivered the most important shock of the ceremony by edging out Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson for NFL Most Priceless Participant. Eagles working again Saquon Barkley gained Offensive Participant of the Yr in his first season in Philadelphia. Denver’s Patrick Surtain II is the primary cornerback in 5 years to seize Defensive Participant of the Yr. Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels accomplished probably the most spectacular debut seasons with the Offensive Rookie of the Yr award. Go-rusher Jared Verse turned the primary Rams participant since Aaron Donald in 2014 to win Defensive Rookie of the Yr. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell was voted Coach of the Yr after his third season in Minnesota. And Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was Comeback Participant of the Yr.
This is a have a look at who took residence the awards and why:
MVP
Josh Allen | QB | Buffalo Payments
Allen has defied the chances in profitable his first MVP award, turning into the third participant to obtain it regardless of not being named first-team All-Professional because the award was first given in 1957.
In so some ways, Allen performed a vital function within the Payments profitable 13 video games and advancing to the AFC Championship Recreation.
The seventh-year quarterback made it a precedence to show over the ball much less, ending with a career-low six interceptions and two fumbles with these the one turnovers the Payments’ offense had. He nonetheless performed his signature fashion — speeding for 12 touchdowns and throwing for 28 — and led an offense that tied an NFL report with 13 gamers catching landing passes. He prolonged his personal NFL report for consecutive seasons with 40 passing/speeding touchdowns (5).
“Josh Allen’s management, his constant management, was the most important motive why we did what we did this season,” coach Sean McDermott stated. “So, anyone that tries to say in any other case, I do know higher. I’ve seen it.” — Alaina Getzenberg
Coach of the Yr
Kevin O’Connell | Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings entered 2024 projected to win 6.5 video games, in accordance with ESPN Analytics — their lowest projected win complete in a minimum of a decade. The lowered expectations have been largely as a result of O’Connell and the remainder of the staff’s decision-makers had launched a quarterback transition from Kirk Cousins to Sam Darnold, with rookie J.J. McCarthy recovering from a season-ending knee harm. O’Connell inspired gamers to look previous these expectations, expressing his confidence that the staff was in higher place to compete than the general public understood. The consequence: They exceeded that win complete by Week 9.
Within the course of, O’Connell turned the second coach in NFL historical past to supply two seasons of 13 or extra wins in his first three seasons. The Vikings went 9-1 in one-score video games, elevating O’Connell’s profession report in such video games to 26-9. His .743 win share in these video games is greater than each coach in NFL historical past besides Man Chamberlin, a Nineteen Twenties-era Corridor of Fame participant/coach. — Kevin Seifert
Defensive Rookie of the Yr
Jared Verse | Edge | Los Angeles Rams
Verse was the Rams’ first first-round decide since 2016, and the No. 19 choice out of Florida State made an influence in his rookie season for a protection that was taking part in with out lately retired star Aaron Donald. Verse had 4.5 sacks, 66 tackles, 2 pressured fumbles and a couple of fumble recoveries. He was the Rams’ lone Professional Bowl choice, one thing defensive coordinator Chris Shula stated exhibits “how a lot he influences and impacts the sport.” Verse ranked fourth within the NFL in quarterback pressures. His 76 pressures have been 20 greater than the subsequent rookie on the checklist. Shula known as Verse a “true three-down participant” and praised his progress from the beginning of the season by the Rams’ playoff run.
“He is an thrilling man that has an amazing charisma,” head coach Sean McVay stated. “He has an amazing toughness about himself. I feel he is persevering with to make use of all these experiences as he matures and grows.”
Verse was one in every of two Rams finalists for Defensive Rookie of the Yr, becoming a member of their second-round decide, defensive sort out Braden Fiske, within the class. — Sarah Barshop
Comeback Participant of the Yr
Joe Burrow | QB | Cincinnati Bengals
When the season began, there have been many questions on how Joe Burrow would reply from a season-ending harm in 2023. Burrow ruptured the scapholunate ligament in his throwing wrist. Throughout his restoration course of, he was unable to seek out one other quarterback or perhaps a baseball pitcher who had that harm. It took a while, however not solely did Burrow play nicely in 2024, he ended up having one of the best season of his profession.
He led the league in passing yards (4,918) and passing touchdowns (43) and completed third in Complete QBR (74.7). Burrow joins Chad Pennington as the one gamers to win the award twice because it was reintroduced in 1998. Burrow gained the distinction in 2021 by main the Bengals to an AFC North title and a Tremendous Bowl berth after struggling a season-ending knee harm his rookie season. In December, Burrow stated he could be happy with profitable Comeback Participant of the Yr a second time.
“It is not precisely an award you need to be up for,” Burrow stated. “However in case you’re up for it, you may as nicely attempt to win it.” — Ben Child
Offensive Participant of the Yr
Saquon Barkley | RB | Philadelphia Eagles
Barkley is having among the best seasons for a working again in NFL historical past.
He turned the ninth participant to succeed in 2,000 speeding yards and completed simply 100 yards shy of Eric Dickerson’s single-season speeding report (2,105) after the Eagles opted to relaxation their starters within the regular-season finale towards the Giants. Barkley has seven 60-plus-yard landing runs, essentially the most in a single season. The Eagles determined throughout their Week 5 bye to characteristic a extra ground-dependent, Barkley-centric offense, they usually proceeded to win 10 straight video games en path to a 14-3 report.
“I might prefer to say he is exceeded expectations, however he is all the time been among the best gamers I’ve ever seen each time I’ve watched him, and I’ve all the time recognized about what sort of individual he’s as a result of it is not arduous to seek out that out,” Eagles common supervisor Howie Roseman stated.
“So I am actually not shocked by any of this, and I do not say that in an smug manner, it is primarily based on who he’s, nothing to do with me, as a result of that is who he is all the time been.” — Tim McManus
Defensive Participant of the Yr
Pat Surtain II | CB | Denver Broncos
Whether or not it was merely the attention check or a swirl of analytics, take your decide. By any measure, Surtain was ridiculously good all season. He matched up towards a who’s who of receivers, and Ja’Marr Chase‘s three receptions for 27 yards (on 43 routes towards Surtain) and DK Metcalf‘s three catches for 29 yards (on 24 routes) have been one of the best anybody did towards these star wideouts.
Surtain, in accordance with NFL Subsequent Gen Stats, surrendered the fewest receiving yards (306) of anybody at his place this season (minimal 375 protection snaps), allowed the second-lowest passer score when focused and had the bottom anticipated factors added per goal (minus-0.43). He tied his profession excessive in interceptions (4) and led the league in interception return yards (132). As defensive coordinator Vance Joseph stated, “Pat is on the heart of all the things we do. … He provides us an opportunity a whole lot of defenses do not have. We are able to dictate some issues simply by the place we line him up.” — Jeff Legwold
Offensive Rookie of the Yr
Jayden Daniels | QB | Washington Commanders
Jayden Daniels set one report after one other throughout his first NFL season.
He turned solely the sixth rookie quarterback to guide his staff to a convention championship sport — the earlier 5 all performed with defenses ranked within the prime three; Washington was 18th. He rushed for extra yards (891) than every other rookie quarterback in historical past and mixed that with 3,568 passing yards. He was the NFL’s fourth-ranked passer in complete QBR and threw for 25 touchdowns (15 coming in his final 5 full video games) with solely 9 picks, and he ran for six scores. Daniels led 5 profitable drives, together with one within the playoffs; three ended with landing passes. And he threw extra landing passes within the fourth quarter and extra time (12) than any rookie in historical past.
In September, he turned the primary quarterback in NFL historical past to finish a minimum of 85% of his throws in consecutive video games. — John Keim
Assistant Coach of the Yr
Ben Johnson | Detroit Lions | Offensive Coordinator
Johnson, who’s now the top coach of the Chicago Bears, was a giant a part of the Lions’ record-setting season in 2024, by which they gained a franchise-best 15 video games whereas incomes the NFC’s No. 1 seed and a second consecutive NFC North title.
Johnson is broadly revered by his gamers for his offensive brilliance and inventive playcalling. Lions broad receiver Jameson Williams was impressed with Johnson’s data of the sport.
“I discuss to him so much on the aspect after we’re not on offense. He simply breaks down some issues to me and a few issues I by no means knew taking part in the sport,” Williams stated. “But it surely’s totally different. It is form of totally different. He performed the sport, however some individuals have a ardour for teaching and as soon as they get a really feel for the sport, and perceive the sport very nicely, it turns into simple. You realize what to name for a sure protection. It is form of like taking part in Madden.” — Eric Woodyard
