Twelve months ago, the New England Patriots were a franchise in free fall — back-to-back 4-13 seasons, two coaching changes, and a fan base running low on patience. Then Mike Vrabel walked through the door. At the NFL Honors ceremony at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, Vrabel was named AP Coach of the Year for the second time in his career after steering the Patriots to a 14-3 record and a berth in Super Bowl LX. He wasn’t there to accept it in person … he was too busy preparing to play the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
A 10-Win Turnaround That Made History
The numbers still feel absurd. A 10-win improvement from 4-13 to 14-3, tying the 1999 Colts and 2008 Dolphins for the largest single-season turnaround in NFL history. Vrabel became the first head coach ever to inherit a 13-loss team and win at least 13 games in Year 1. The Patriots rattled off 10 straight wins between Weeks 4 and 13, they won the AFC East for the first time since 2019, and then punched through the Chargers, Texans, and Broncos in the playoffs to reach the franchise’s first Super Bowl since the 2018 season. With quarterback Drake Maye blossoming under Vrabel’s watch, the rebuild didn’t just accelerate — it skipped stages entirely.
The Eighth Coach in a Rare Super Bowl Club
Feb 2, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; The Vince Lombardi Trophy is displayed during Opening Night for Super Bowl LX at San Jose Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Vrabel is now the eighth head coach in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl in his first season with a team, joining Don McCafferty, George Seifert, Red Miller, Bill Callahan, Jim Caldwell, Jon Gruden, and Gary Kubiak. A win on Sunday would make him the fifth to actually lift the Lombardi in Year 1 — and the first defensive player ever to win a Super Bowl as both a player and a coach with the same franchise. “This award belongs to the men in the locker room who believed when they couldn’t always see it,” Vrabel said in a video acceptance speech played during the broadcast.
Garrett Shatters the Sack Record
Feb 5, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; Myles Garrett poses on the NFL Honors Red Carpet before Super Bowl LX at Palace of Fine Arts. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Myles Garrett didn’t just win Defensive Player of the Year — he won it unanimously, all 50 first-place votes, after setting the NFL’s single-season sack record with 23. He surpassed Michael Strahan’s 22.5 from 2001 and T.J. Watt’s matching total from 2021, clinching the record by bringing down Joe Burrow in the final game of the regular season. His 33 tackles for loss led the NFL, and his 39 quarterback hits ranked second in the league. This is Garrett’s second DPOY, and at 30 years old with 125.5 career sacks, he sits 20th on the all-time list — with Chris Doleman’s fifth-place mark of 150.5 a realistic long-term target.
The Stat That Makes Garrett’s Record Even More Impressive
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
Critics pointed to the 17-game schedule, which gave Garrett an extra game that Strahan and Watt didn’t have. But CBS Sports Research dismantled that argument: Cleveland’s opponents faced just 562 dropbacks this season, the third-fewest in the NFL. Strahan’s Giants faced 576 dropbacks in 2001, and Watt’s Steelers saw 649 in 2021. Garrett broke the record with fewer opportunities, not more. He also had 7.0 more sacks than the next-closest player, Brian Burns of the New York Giants at 16.5 — a gap that underscored just how far ahead of the field he was.
Stafford’s MVP — 17 Years in the Making, Won by 5 Points
Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) walks off the field after the NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Matthew Stafford became the oldest first-time MVP winner in NFL history at age 37, capping his 17th NFL season with 4,707 passing yards, 46 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions. But the vote was razor-thin: Stafford collected 24 first-place votes and 366 total points, while Patriots quarterback Drake Maye — in only his second year — received 23 first-place votes and 361 points. One first-place vote separated a 17-year veteran’s legacy moment from a second-year sensation’s coronation. Stafford confirmed on stage, alongside his four daughters, that he’ll return for an 18th season with the Rams.
Smith-Njigba’s Breakout Rewrites the Seahawks Record Book
Feb 5, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) talks to media members at the San Jose Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Jaxon Smith-Njigba wasn’t at NFL Honors either — like Vrabel, he had a Super Bowl to prepare for. The Seahawks wideout won Offensive Player of the Year after leading the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards, obliterating DK Metcalf’s franchise record of 1,303. Smith-Njigba posted 119 catches and 10 touchdowns, hitting 72-plus receiving yards in 15 of 17 games. He became the fifth wide receiver ever to win AP Offensive Player of the Year, joining Jerry Rice, Michael Thomas, Cooper Kupp, and Justin Jefferson. Perhaps the most telling stat: his 1,793 yards were more than he’d produced in his first two NFL seasons combined.
McCaffrey’s Comeback, Schwesinger’s Arrival, McMillan’s Debut
Feb 4, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey on the NFL Network set at the Super Bowl LX media center at the Moscone Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Christian McCaffrey won Comeback Player of the Year after an injury-wrecked 2024 limited him to just four games. In 2025, he played all 17, racking up 2,126 yards from scrimmage and 17 touchdowns on a league-leading 413 touches. In Cleveland, rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger — a former walk-on at UCLA — won Defensive Rookie of the Year with 156 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two interceptions while wearing the green dot and calling the defense as a first-year player. Carolina’s Tetairoa McMillan took Offensive Rookie of the Year honors with 1,014 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, grabbing 41 of 50 first-place votes.
Thuney Makes History, Wagner Gets His Due
Feb 5, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; Joe Thuney on the NFL Honors Red Carpet before Super Bowl LX at Palace of Fine Arts. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
The NFL debuted its Protector of the Year award this season — the first individual honor ever created specifically for offensive linemen — and Chicago Bears guard Joe Thuney became its inaugural winner. The 33-year-old didn’t allow a single sack all season, gave up just one hit, and committed only two penalties across 1,149 offensive snaps. Meanwhile, Washington Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner capped the night by winning the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, the league’s highest individual honor for community impact. At 35, with 14 seasons, 10 Pro Bowls, and six first-team All-Pro selections behind him, Wagner dedicated the moment to his mother.
One Night, One Season’s Worth of Stories
Feb 5, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; A general overall view of the Palace of Fine Arts, the site of the NFL Honors. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Thursday’s ceremony at the Palace of Fine Arts captured a season full of extremes — a 10-win turnaround in New England, a sack record shattered in Cleveland, an MVP race decided by a single first-place vote in Los Angeles, a franchise-record receiving season in Seattle, and a walk-on rookie calling a defense in the NFL. Two of the biggest winners — Vrabel and Smith-Njigba — weren’t even in the building; they were already locked in on Super Bowl LX.
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Sources:
- “Patriots HC Mike Vrabel named 2025 AP NFL Coach of the Year” — NFL.com
- “Patriots’ Mike Vrabel joins rare first-year Super Bowl club” — ESPN
- “Matthew Stafford wins NFL MVP in closest vote since 2003” — ESPN
- “Browns’ Myles Garrett gets sack No. 23 to set NFL single-season record” — ESPN
- “Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba named 2025 AP Offensive Player of the Year” — NFL.com
- “Bears guard Joe Thuney wins inaugural NFL Protector of the Year award” — CBS News
