It’s a busy week here at The MMQB, as we look ahead to the playoffs (staff Super Bowl predictions will be on the site Thursday morning), follow the coaching carousel and wrap up our coverage of the regular season.
Before we get to the Lombardi Trophy, let’s hand out some regular-season hardware. Our eight-person panel has voted for our choices to win MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive Rookie of the Year, Defensive Rookie of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year and Coach of the Year. Our writers and editors all submitted a top-five ballot for every award, resulting in five points for a first-place vote, four points for a second-place vote, etc.
Full results for all seven awards are listed below.
Our voters:
Albert Breer, senior NFL reporter (X/Twitter)
Conor Orr, senior writer (X/Twitter, BlueSky)
Gilberto Manzano, staff writer (X/Twitter, BlueSky)
Matt Verderame, staff writer (X/Twitter)
Michael Rosenberg, senior writer (X/Twitter, BlueSky)
Andrew Brandt, business of football columnist (X/Twitter)
John Pluym, managing editor (X/Twitter)
Mitch Goldich, senior editor (X/Twitter, BlueSky)
MVP
1. Josh Allen: 36 points (6 firsts, 2 seconds)
2. Lamar Jackson: 32 points (1 first, 6 seconds, 1 third)
3. Joe Burrow: 20 points (1 first, 4 thirds, 1 fourth, 1 fifth)
4. Saquon Barkley: 15 points (3 thirds, 3 fourths)
5. Jared Goff: 6 points (2 fourths, 2 fifths)
T-6. Justin Jefferson: 2 points (1 fourth)
T-6. Joe Thuney: 2 points (1 fourth)
T-8. Jayden Daniels: 1 point (1 fifth)
T-8. Sam Darnold: 1 point (1 fifth)
T-8. Patrick Mahomes: 1 point (1 fifth)
T-8. Jordan Mailata: 1 point (1 fifth)
T-8. Baker Mayfield: 1 point (1 fifth)
The MVP race has been fiercely debated all season, but now it’s time to make a final call. Six of our eight panelists landed on Josh Allen as the top choice, putting him ahead of two-time real-life winner Lamar Jackson in cumulative points. This would be Allen’s first time winning the award. Joe Burrow did pick up one first-place vote despite his Cincinnati Bengals falling short of the playoffs. Saquon Barkley came in fourth for his 2,000-yard season, followed by a handful of other quarterbacks and even a couple of offensive linemen who picked up down-ballot votes.
Offensive Player of the Year
1. Saquon Barkley: 40 points (8 firsts)
2. Ja’Marr Chase: 27 points (6 seconds, 1 fourth, 1 fifth)
3. Derrick Henry: 22 points (6 thirds, 2 fourths)
4. Justin Jefferson: 11 points (1 second, 2 fourths, 3 fifths)
5. Josh Jacobs: 8 points (1 second, 1 third, 1 fifth)
6. Jahmyr Gibbs: 7 points (2 fourths, 3 fifths)
7. Lamar Jackson: 3 points (1 third)
8. Tristan Wirfs: 2 points (1 fourth)
We voted on seven awards, and this is the only one with a unanimous winner. Barkley picked up all eight first-place votes for his incredible first season as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles. Ja’Marr Chase won the receiving triple crown, and he received six second-place votes for his efforts. Offensive Player of the Year has come to be viewed mostly as a nonquarterback award, though one voter did send a vote Jackson’s way, maybe as a consolation prize for not getting an MVP nod. The rest of the votes went to some of the usual suspects, and yet another bit of recognition for a lineman, this time SI cover star Tristan Wirfs.
Defensive Player of the Year
1. Patrick Surtain II: 29 points (2 firsts, 4 seconds, 1 third)
2. Myles Garrett: 24 points (1 first, 2 seconds, 3 thirds, 1 fourth)
3. T.J. Watt: 23 points (3 firsts, 1 second, 1 third, 1 fifth)
T-4. Trey Hendrickson: 11 points (2 thirds, 1 fourth, 3 fifths)
T-4. Andrew Van Ginkel: 11 points (1 first, 1 second, 1 fourth)
6. Chris Jones: 9 points (1 first, 2 fourths)
7. Nik Bonitto: 6 points (1 third, 3 fifths)
8. Zack Baun: 4 points (2 fourths)
9. Kyle Hamilton: 2 points (1 fourth)
10. Jonathan Greenard: 1 point (1 fifth)
Defensive Player of the Year may have been our most interesting vote to tally up. Five different players received first-place votes, and the guy who got the most (T.J. Watt with three) came in third place. Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II appeared on seven out of eight ballots, garnered a pair of first-place votes and was our choice for the top player on the defensive side of the ball. Myles Garrett also landed on seven ballots, but earned only one first-place vote. Andrew Van Ginkel and Chris Jones also pulled in first-place votes, but they fell behind NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson in total points.This is a wide-open race that could be similarly close in the official NFL balloting.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
1. Jayden Daniels: 39 points (7 firsts, 1 second)
2. Brock Bowers: 30 points (6 seconds, 2 thirds)
3. Bo Nix: 15 points (1 first, 1 second, 1 third, 1 fourth, 1 fifth)
4. Malik Nabers: 13 points (2 thirds, 3 fourths, 1 fifth)
5. Brian Thomas Jr.: 11 points (3 thirds, 2 fifths)
6. Ladd McConkey: 6 points (2 fourths, 2 fifths)
7. Bucky Irving: 4 points (1 fourth, 2 fifths)
8. Joe Alt: 2 points (1 fourth)
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was the runaway favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year, though he was not a unanimous selection as Denver Broncos QB Bo Nix took home one first-place vote. Brock Bowers and Malik Nabers, who both topped the previous rookie receptions record, rounded out the top four. This was a particularly strong rookie class, as Bucky Irving, who finished 10th in the league in scrimmage yards, landed in seventh place and appeared on only three ballots.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
1. Jared Verse: 39 points (7 firsts, 1 second)
2. Quinyon Mitchell: 30 points (1 first, 4 seconds, 3 thirds)
3. Braden Fiske: 13 points (3 thirds, 1 fourth, 2 fifths)
4. Edgerrin Cooper: 12 points (1 second, 1 third, 2 fourths, 1 fifth)
5. Cooper DeJean: 9 points (4 fourths, 1 fifth)
T-6. Chop Robinson: 6 points (1 second, 1 fourth)
T-6. Tarheeb Still: 6 points (1 second, 2 fifths)
8. Kamari Lassiter: 3 points (1 third)
T-9. Terrion Arnold: 1 point (1 fifth)
T-9. Tykee Smith: 1 point (1 fifth)
Los Angeles Rams edge rusher Jared Verse was nearly the unanimous selection for Defensive Rookie of the Year, though one voter put Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell ahead of him. Verse was one of three rookies (along with Daniels and Bowers) to make the Pro Bowl this season. In a fun twist this season, Verse and Mitchell also had teammates within their position groups also make the top five: Braden Fiske, who played with Verse at Florida State and with the Rams, and fellow Eagles DB Cooper DeJean.
Comeback Player of the Year
1. J.K. Dobbins: 36 points (4 firsts, 4 seconds)
2. Joe Burrow: 35 points (4 firsts, 3 seconds, 1 third)
3. Tim Patrick: 23 points (1 second, 5 thirds, 2 fourths)
T-4. Nick Chubb: 6 points (3 fourths)
T-4. C.J. Gardner-Johnson: 6 points (2 fourths, 2 fifths)
T-4. Kyler Murray: 6 points (2 thirds)
T-7. Cam Akers: 3 points (3 fifths)
T-7. Aaron Rodgers: 3 points (1 fourth, 1 fifth)
9. Tank Dell: 2 points (2 fifths)
Comeback Player of the Year has become a tricky award to vote for since the Associated Press clarified the rules around it. Sam Darnold would have been an obvious candidate based on how this award has been handled in past years, but our voters were asked to stick to the narrow criteria of players who missed time due to injury in 2023. That also ruled out players such as Russell Wilson and Bryce Young, who otherwise would have received votes. In the end, our first-place votes were split between J.K. Dobbins and Burrow. Dobbins rushed for 905 yards and nine touchdowns after tearing his Achilles in Week 1 last season. Burrow led the league in passing yards and touchdowns after an offseason spent recovering from torn wrist ligaments. Dobbins slightly edged out Burrow in total points because one voter gave a second-place vote to wide receiver Tim Patrick, who returned to play 16 games for the Detroit Lions after missing two full seasons with ACL and Achilles tears.
Coach of the Year
T-1. Dan Campbell: 36 points (4 firsts, 4 seconds)
T-1. Kevin O’Connell: 36 points (4 firsts, 4 seconds)
3. Dan Quinn: 17 points (4 thirds, 2 fourths, 1 fifth)
4. Jim Harbaugh: 12 points (1 third, 3 fourths, 3 fifths)
5. Mike Tomlin: 6 points (2 thirds)
6. Andy Reid: 5 points (1 fourth, 3 fifths)
T-7. Matt LaFleur: 4 points (2 fourths)
T-7. Nick Sirianni: 4 points (1 third, 1 fifth)
A tie! Four of our panelists put Dan Campbell in first place and Kevin O’Connell in second place. The other four flipped them. So the two coaches whose teams played for the NFC’s top seed on in Week 18 will have to share our award. Campbell is being rewarded for a 15–2 season, the best in Lions history. O’Connell entered the season with lower expectations and led the Minnesota Vikings to a 14–3 record with Darnold at quarterback. Below them, our panel rewarded Dan Quinn and Jim Harbaugh for reaching the postseason in their first season with their respective teams.
