The NFL Honors is football’s version of the Oscars. A lot of glamour, famous people, and someone making fun of some of the celebrities. It’s a fun night. It’s also a night that defines careers and legacies. Winning Player of the Year or Rookie of the Year, and your next contract extension is likely bigger. Win MVP and your legacy grows exponentially. It’s also when the NFL unveils the Hall of Fame class, and this one is arguably the most controversial in history.
This award season is fairly open, at least in my opinion. I think there’s only one obvious award, although I thought MVP was really obvious last year as well. There will also be the first-ever Protector of the Year, an award given to the best offensive linemen in the season.
I also did a prediction before the season, but feel free to ignore it. I probably whiffed in all of them.
Assistant Coach of the Year: Klint Kubiak, OC, Seattle Seahawks
Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (14) hugs offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak after defeating the Los Angeles Rams in overtime at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
The most-coveted head coach candidate for 2026, Kubiak was brilliant in 2025. His offense ranked third in points and was a top 10 unit in both passing and rushing yards. Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet formed a great one-two punch on the ground, Sam Darnold showed his 2024 wasn’t a fluke, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the OPOY favorite. A 38-year-old coordinator orchestrated all of this.
Finalists: Vic Fangio, DC, Philadelphia Eagles; Brian Flores, DC, Minnesota Vikings; Vance Joseph, DC, Denver Broncos; Josh McDaniels, OC, New England Patriots.
Coach of the Year: Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
Nov 2, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on the sideline during the first half of a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
This is probably the only award for which all five have a great argument to win. Vrabel, Coen, and Johnson took bad teams and won the division. McDonald transformed the Seahawks into a nightmare, with a great defense and an explosive offense. But, to me, this is a long-overdue nod to Kyle Shanahan. Most coaches would see their season crumble with the number of injuries the 49ers had. But Shanahan had them fighting for the division and first seed in the NFC until the final game of the season.
He lost his best pass rusher after three games. His star tight end missed seven games. For eight games, he had to play with the backup quarterback. He also had his best defender for only six games. And his WR1 was a no-show for the entire season. The 49ers may have finished third in the division, but finishing 12-5 despite this is a testament to Shanahan’s ability as a head coach.
Finalists: Liam Coen, Jacksonville Jaguars; Ben Johnson, Chicago Bears; Mike McDonald, Seattle Seahawks; Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots.
Comeback Player of the Year: Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
Jan 11, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) makes a catch for a touchdown defended by Philadelphia Eagles safety Reed Blankenship (32) during the fourth quarter in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
If you look purely at his rushing stats, McCaffrey’s 2025 season wasn’t special. But, when put in context that he was the 49ers’ offense, it’s remarkable. He finished the season with 2126 total yards, more than his OPOY campaign in 2023. He also came really close to his second season with 1000+ yards through the air and ground. The numbers by themselves would already make a strong case, but again, everyone else was injured. The whole defense knew where the ball would go. They still couldn’t stop CMC.
Finalists: Stefon Diggs, WR, New England Patriots; Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Detroit Lions; Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars; Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Carson Schwesinger, LB, Cleveland Browns
Dec 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) is sacked by Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger (49) during the second half at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
Schwesinger put himself in the conversation for one of the best linebackers in the league. The Browns’ season as a whole was bad, but they found a leader on defense in this young linebacker. He finished his first season as a pro with 156 tackles (4th most by a rookie), 2.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, 9 QB hits, and played almost 1000 snaps. Assuming he will get better as time passes, the Browns may have found the next great linebacker.
Finalists: Abdul Carter, EDGE, New York Giants; Nick Emmanwori, DB, Seattle Seahawks; James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Atlanta Falcons; Xavier Watts, DB, Atlanta Falcons.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers
Dec 28, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) extends for a pass thrown by quarterback Bryce Young (not pictured) against Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) during the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Bryce Young was way better in 2025 than in his previous years. And a lot goes into that, his own learning curve, more experience in the NFL, coaching, etc. But look no further than the impact of Tet McMillan. The 6’5 receiver was as reliable a target as you’d hope for the 8th overall pick. With 70 catches, 1014 yards, and 7 TDs, he quickly became Young’s favorite target. He finished the season with almost twice the targets (122) as Legette (64), who finished second on the team.
Emeka Egbuka is also a strong candidate, but McMillan was indeed the best offensive rookie in 2025.
Finalists: Jaxson Dart, QB, New York Giants; Emeka Egbuka, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; TreVeyon Henderson, RB, New England Patriots; Tyler Shough, QB, New Orleans Saints.
Protector of the Year: Joe Thuney, LG, Chicago Bears
Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears guard Joe Thuney (62) blocks for quarterback Caleb Williams (18) against Los Angeles Rams linebacker Jared Verse (8) during the first quarter of an NFC Divisional Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
First of all, the best thing they did was select a panel of former offensive linemen to judge this. We, mere mortals, wouldn’t be able to really see who the best players were on this side of the trenches. And we also have no idea what they will value more for this award. Their job is to block against the run and the pass, but we all know passing is more important in the NFL. Will they view this through the same optic? Given that the name is “Protector of the Year”, instead of “blocker” or “offensive lineman”, probably so.
Either way, Joe Thuney is arguably the most deserving player. He was the best player and anchored a unit that was the best run-blocking one in the league, and was credited with zero sacks by PFF. With 643 pass-blocking snaps and a quarterback who is known for holding the ball and extending plays, this is highly impressive.
Finalists: Garrett Bowles, LT, Denver Broncos; Aaron Brewer, C, Miami Dolphins; Creed Humphrey, C, Kansas City Chiefs; Quinn Meinerz, RG, Denver Broncos; Penei Sewell, RT, Detroit Lions
Defensive Player of the Year: Myles Garrett, EDGE, Cleveland Browns
Jan 4, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) celebrates following a sack against the Cincinnati Bengals during the fourth quarter at Paycor Stadium. The play set a new NFL single season sack record by Garrett. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images
This is by far the most obvious one. 23 sacks, a new NFL record. I don’t think I have to say anything else. Garrett is a special player who had an even more special season.
Finalists: Will Anderson Jr., EDGE, Houston Texans; Nik Bonitto, EDGE, Denver Broncos; Aidan Hutchinson, EDGE, Detroit Lions; Micah Parsons, EDGE, Green Bay Packers.
Offensive Player of the Year: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
Jan 25, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half in the 2026 NFC Championship Game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
To me, this is a three-horse race. Bijan Robinson led the league with 2298 all-purpose yards and averaged over 5 yards per carry. Puka Nacua led the league with 129 catches and had 1715 yards with 10 touchdowns. And Smith-Njigba led the league in yards with 1793 yards and had 119 catches and 10 scores. Puka’s argument that he did that while playing in one less game is a strong one. But, at the end of the day, yards are more important than catches, and we all look at total numbers rather than the amount per game.
Finalists: Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots; Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers; Puka Nacua, WR, Los Angeles Rams; Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta Falcons.
Most Valuable Player: Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams
Jan 18, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws a pass against the Chicago Bears during the second quarter of an NFC Divisional Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
Let’s start this by saying that Drake Maye also had a great season, deserves the award, and he can’t be blamed for the level of competition he faced. After all, you play who’s on your schedule. However, the fact that it isn’t his fault doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be part of the discussion. If, as a voter, you think they were perfectly equally prolific, the tiebreaker is who each of them played against. And, if that’s the case, it’s not a fair comparison.
I don’t think it should come down to this, though. As I said, Maye had a great season in his own right. But again, counting stats and wins are a big part of the discussion. Should they? Probably not, but they are. One went 12-5, and the other 14-3. While Maye’s Patriots won the division and are a nicer story, it’s not an egregious difference. Both had 8 interceptions, and Maye also takes the upper hand in completion percentage (72.0% to 65.0%). But when it comes to yards and touchdowns, it isn’t really close. Stafford led the league in both, and while the difference in yards isn’t absolutely crazy (4707 to 4394), it is in touchdowns. Even if you add Maye’s rushing touchdowns, Stafford had 11 more scores (15 if you only count the passing yards).
Few quarterbacks led the league in both yards and touchdowns in the same year. Even fewer did this and didn’t win MVP.
Finalists: Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills; Trevor Lawrence, QB, Jacksonville Jaguars; Drake Maye, QB, New England Patriots; Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers.
