The Associated Press has announced the finalists for the eight awards that will be given out as part of the NFL Honors show on February 6.
The marquee award is the Most Valuable Player prize and the consensus has been for some time that the award will go to either Bills quarterback Josh Allen or Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Jackson’s bid got a boost when he was voted a first-team All-Pro, but we’ll have to wait a little longer before finding out if voters also put him ahead of Allen on their MVP ballots.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, and Lions quarterback Jared Goff are the other finalists.
Barkley, Burrow, and Jackson are also finalists for the offensive player of the year award. Ravens running back Derrick Henry and Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase round out the contenders for that prize.
Burrow is a three-time finalist as he’s also up for comeback player of the year. Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez, Bills safety Damar Hamlin, and Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins join him in that category.
The other award finalists are:
Coach of the Year
Dan Campbell, Lions; Kevin O’Connell, Vikings; Sean Payton, Broncos; Dan Quinn, Commanders; and Andy Reid, Chiefs.
Assistant Coach of the Year
Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady; Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio; Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores; Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn; and Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
Defensive Player of the Year
Eagles linebacker Zack Baun; Browns defensive end Myles Garrett; Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson; Broncos cornerback Pat Surtain II; and Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers, Broncos quarterback Bo Nix, and Jaguars wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, Rams defensive lineman Braden Fiske, Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, Dolphins linebacker Chop Robinson, and Rams linebacker Jared Verse.
The Jets have found their head coach, now they need to find their General Manager.
Aaron Glenn has agreed to a deal to coach the team and their search for a G.M. to work with him will expand to include at least two more interviews. According to multiple reports, the team will have second interviews with Broncos assistant G.M. Darren Mougey and Bengals senior personnel executive Trey Brown.
The Jets had Commanders assistant G.M. Lance Newmark in for a second interview this week and his prior work with the Lions while Glenn was in Detroit suggested that they might come in as a package.
That’s not the case at this point and the Jets may be headed in a different direction when all is said and done.
With Ben Johnson off the board, the Raiders will have to look elsewhere for their next head coach.
So where will they go?
Beyond Johnson, they’ve shown interest in and/or interviewed Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, former Jets coach Robert Saleh, former Jets, Patriots, and Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, and Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
Many believed Johnson was the guy whom minority owner and majority juice-holder Tom Brady wanted the most.
Brady could pivot to Commanders offensive coordinator (and former Patriots teammate) Kliff Kingsbury, whose offense outscored Johnson’s — and who remains very much alive for a Super Bowl berth. Because the Raiders didn’t interview Kingsbury when he was available for a virtual session (he took no such interviews), they can’t talk to him until after the Washington season ends.
Which might not happen for two weeks and six days.
The challenge for the Raiders becomes selling someone on a team with no quarterback, a very difficult division draw, and a roster that needs plenty of work.
Also, whoever takes the job will have to be fine with the reality of answering to two owners — majority owner Mark Davis and absentee minority landlord Tom Brady, who can’t attend most games because of his primary job with Fox.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley sat out Week 18 instead of going for the NFL’s regular-season rushing record. But Barkley now has a chance to break the NFL’s regular-season+postseason rushing record.
After gaining 205 yards against the Rams on Sunday, Barkley has totaled 2,329 rushing yards in the regular season and postseason. Only one player in NFL history has totaled more than that — and that player did it twice.
Broncos running back Terrell Davis set the NFL record for total rushing yards in the regular season and playoffs in 1997, when he totaled 2,331 rushing yards. A year later, Davis broke his own record, totaling 2,476 rushing yards in the regular season and postseason. Davis and the Broncos won the Super Bowl both years.
Barkley needs to rush for 148 yards to move past Davis and have the most combined rushing yards in a regular and postseason in NFL history. He has a chance of doing it in the NFC Championship Game against the Commanders, and if the Eagles win that game he can add to his rushing total in the Super Bowl. With two more big games, Barkley can make a case for the greatest season of any running back in NFL history.
The NFL has cracked down hard on two players who led with their helmet on hits in the wild card round of the playoffs.
Broncos running back Javonte Williams and Vikings safety Harrison Smith were both fined $45,020 for use of the helmet violations.
Tellingly, neither Williams nor Smith was flagged by the officials on the field. The officials often miss the calls that the league’s disciplinary process determines are worth the most serious fines, and that was the case again here.
Because the NFL is prioritizing reducing helmet-first hits, the league has made $45,020 a standard fine even for a first offense.
