We used to post our regular-season awards one at a time. This year, we’re trying something different. Mainly because there’s too much other stuff going on.
All awards will be unveiled in one fell swoop. In one comprehensive post.
These aren’t my awards. The Associated Press doesn’t want any of the 50 voters to reveal their winners before the NFL Honors ceremony next month. We don’t need to wait that long to reveal the our own look at the folks who deserve recognition based on their performances during the 272-game season that ended four days ago.
So here they are, based on the input of the various PFT writers.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Panthers receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
The first-rounder finished with 1,017 receiving yards in 17 games for the NFC South champs. If Saints quarterback Tyler Shough had started more than nine games, he may have run away with it.
Also receiving consideration was Buccaneers first-round receiver Emeka Egbuka (938 receiving yards).
In the end, the 1,000-yard season and presence on a playoff team gave McMillan the nod.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger.
The first pick in round two emerged as the consensus top rookie on the defensive side of the ball, with 16 starts, 156 tackles, two interceptions, and 2.5 sacks.
Others considered were Seahawks defensive back Nick Emmanwori and Falcons linebacker James Pearce Jr.
Comeback Player of the Year: 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey.
Limited to four games in 2024 due to an Achilles injury that delayed his debut and a knee injury that ended his season, McCaffrey returned to full form in 2025. He had 2,126 yards from scrimmage (his third 2,000-yard performance) and came within 76 receiving yards of his second 1,000/1,000 rushing/receiving season.
McCaffrey’s ability to play every game helped keep the 49ers going amid an array of injuries to key players on both sides of the ball, fueling a 12-5 season that ended with a playoff berth.
Also receiving consideration were Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, who had a career-high 14.5 sacks after suffering a broken leg in 2024, and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who finished with 4,552 passing yards a year after missing nine games with a serious hamstring injury.
Offensive Player of the Year: Falcons running back Bijan Robinson.
During the 2025 season, now-former Falcons coach Raheem Morris repeatedly called Robinson the best player in the NFL. Robinson led the league with 2,298 yards from scrimmage, and he proved to be a threat to score on any given snap. He had the longest run of the season — a 93-yarder — and 6.3 yards per touch.
Others receiving consideration were McCaffrey, Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (league-high 1,793 receiving yards), and Rams receiver Puka Nacua (league-high 129 catches).
Defensive Player of the Year: Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.
This one was the easiest of all. Garrett broke the single-season sack record, with 23.0. He had a four-sack game against the Ravens, and a five-sack performance against the Patriots.
Given that the Browns rarely had a late lead, allowing Garrett to pin the proverbial ears back and chase a quarterback who was passing the ball over and over again, Garrett’s ability to generate so many sacks was even more impressive.
Others receiving consideration were Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (12.0 sacks and the captain of the NFL’s best defense), and Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto (14.0 sacks).
Assistant Coach of the Year: Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.
The former Broncos head coach (from 2017-18) was essentially the head coach of the Denver defense, which continues to be among the NFL’s best. With Joseph, the Broncos secured the No. 1 seed in the AFC. That could earn Joseph another shot at a head-coaching job.
Others receiving consideration were Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke, and Jaguars defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile.
Coach of the Year: Jaguars coach Liam Coen.
This one was the closest call, between the first-year coach who took the Jaguars to the AFC South title (after only one year as Tampa’s offensive coordinator, following one year in 2022 as the Rams’ offensive coordinator) and Mike Vrabel, who immediately returned the Patriots to prominence. New England had an easy schedule (they didn’t pick it), and Vrabel’s track record made the overall turnaround less surprising.
Few expected Coen to take a team that had been 4-13 in 2024 to a division crown. Along the way, Coen sparked an eight-game winning streak after a 1-3 lull to hold off the Texans (who could be the best team in the entire conference) for the division crown.
Others receiving consideration were Bears coach Ben Johnson, Broncos coach Sean Payton, and Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald.
Executive of the Year: Seahawks G.M. John Schneider.
The decision to trade quarterback Geno Smith and pivot to quarterback Sam Darnold was the boldest move the long-time Seattle G.M. made. But Schneider has otherwise put together a roster that is among the best in the league, helping to lay the foundation for a team that won the top seed in the NFC, despite stiff competition in the NFC West.
Others receiving consideration were Jaguars G.M. James Gladstone, Bears G.M. Ryan Poles, and Patriots executive V.P. of player personnel Eliot Wolf.
MVP: Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.
Maye or Stafford? Stafford or Maye?
Anyone can pick a stat and make the case for either Maye or Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford had the NFL’s most passing yards, with 4,707, and passing touchdowns, with 46. Maye had the highest average per attempt, with 8.93 (more than a full yard more than Stafford), and the highest passer rating in the league, at 113.5.
Here’s one that helped tip the scale toward Maye: He had an eight-game run with 200 or more passing yards and a passer rating of 100 or higher. Only three players in NFL history had ever done that before — Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, and Peyton Manning. Each won the MVP award when they accomplished that feat. Maye became the youngest to ever do it, at 23.
Stafford likely would have been our MVP, if the Rams hadn’t blown a 16-point lead with 13:34 to play against the Seahawks in Week 16. Five fourth-quarter drives by the Rams after that moment yielded zero points.
That same weekend, Maye engineered a pair of fourth-quarter touchdown drives against the Ravens, turning a 24-13 deficit into a 28-24 win. The first covered 73 yards. The second started at the New England 11.
In those two prime-time games, the Rams lost both the No. 1 seed and the NFC West crown — and the Patriots moved a massive step closer to ending Buffalo’s five-year hammerlock on the AFC East.
Would it have been an easier call if the Patriots had secured the No. 1 seed? Yes. Still, Maye’s statistical achievements coupled with a division title and the No. 2 seed in the AFC (versus the Rams at No. 5) were enough to earn Maye the MVP title in only his second NFL season.
Jaguars Clips
Josh Allen remains on track to be just fine to start Sunday’s wild card matchup with the Jaguars.
Allen was again listed as a full participant on Buffalo’s Thursday injury report after he was full on Wednesday, too.
Allen has been dealing with a foot injury suffered during Buffalo’s Week 16 victory over the Browns. He was still able to play against Philadelphia in Week 17 but the club rested him in last week’s win over the Jets.
Linebacker Matt Milano (illness) returned on Thursday as a full participant after he did not participate on Wednesday.
Kicker Matt Prater (right quad) was also upgraded to a full participant after he was a DNP on Wednesday. Buffalo had added Matthew Wright to the practice squad as insurance if Prater is unable to kick.
Defensive tackle T.J. Sanders (shoulder) was added to the report as full.
Linebacker Terrel Bernard (calf), running back Ty Johnson (ankle), and receiver Joshua Palmer (ankle) remained non-participants.
Safety Damar Hamlin (pectoral), defensive tackle DaQuan Jones (calf), tight end Dalton Kincaid (knee), safety Jordan Poyer (hamstring), and linebacker Shaq Thompson (neck) all remained limited.
Safety Cole Bishop (ribs), defensive end Joey Bosa (hamstring), and defensive back Cam Lewis (toe) all remained full.
Jaguars kicker Cam Little kicked his second-longest field goal of the season on Sunday. Which also happened to be the second-longest field goal in NFL history.
Little’s 67-yard field goal on Sunday followed his 68-yarder in November, highlighting a tremendous season for him. Today he was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month.
Little is 11-for-11 on field goals and 21-for-21 on extra points since the beginning of December, and he has the NFL’s longest active streak with 20 consecutive made field goals. Little is also the youngest player in NFL history with 50 career field goals, reaching that mark at age 22 years, 119 days.
In August, Little hit a 70-yard field goal in a preseason game, which is the longest field goal ever made in any football game at any level of the sport. Up next perhaps he’ll set a new NFL record for the longest postseason field goal. The current record of 58 yards, first set by Pete Sotyanovich in 1990 and later matched by Graham Gano in 2017, seems almost too easy for Little and the other kickers who made 60-yard field goals commonplace in 2025.
The Jaguars closed out the regular season with eight straight wins and quarterback Trevor Lawrence’s play had a lot to do with their run to the AFC South title.
Lawrence was particularly sharp in the team’s final five games of the season. Lawrence was 105-of-165 passes for 1,371 yards, 13 touchdowns, and one interception in the team’s December and January victories. He also ran 25 times for 124 yards and four touchdowns in those contests.
The NFL announced on Thursday that Lawrence has been named the AFC’s player of the month in recognition of that performance.
Lawrence has never won a player of the month award before and the Jaguars will be hoping that his performance remains at the same level in the postseason.
Bills coach Sean McDermott ran down the team’s injury report before practice.
Josh Allen (foot) was indeed a full participant on Wednesday, the quarterback’s first full practice since Dec. 26.
McDermott, though, didn’t mention Bills wide receiver Josh Palmer, who missed practice with an ankle injury.
Cornerback Maxwell Hairston (ankle), linebacker Terrel Bernard (calf), running back Ty Johnson (ankle), linebacker Matt Milano (illness) and kicker Matt Prater (quad) also did not participate in the on-field work Wednesday.
Safety Damar Hamlin (pectoral) returned to practice on a limited basis after the Bills opened his 21-day practice window. Defensive tackle DaQuan Jones (calf), tight end Dalton Kincaid (knee), safety Jordan Poyer (hamstring) and linebacker Shaq Thompson (neck) also were limited.
Defensive end Joey Bosa (hamstring), safety Cole Bishop (ribs) and defensive back Cam Lewis (toe) were full participants.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen will fully participate in Wednesday’s practice, coach Sean McDermott said.
Allen has not had a full practice since Dec. 26 because of a foot issue.
He has not had three full practices in a week since Week 16, which was the last time he wasn’t on the injury report.
Allen didn’t participate in the first two practices last week before limited work on Friday. He played only the first snap of Sunday’s victory over the Jets.
Mitchell Trubisky replaced Allen.
Allen is 7-6 in the postseason with 3,359 yards, 25 touchdowns and four interceptions but has yet to make it to the Super Bowl.
McDermott said cornerback Maxwell Hairston (ankle), linebacker Terrel Bernard (calf), running back Ty Johnson (ankle), linebacker Matt Milano (illness) and kicker Matt Prater (quad) will not participate in the on-field work today.
The Bills made several roster moves on Wednesday ahead of their wild-card game this weekend.
They placed defensive tackle Jordan Phillips on injured reserve.
Phillips injured his right ankle in Week 15 against the Patriots and missed two games before returning to log 18 defensive snaps against the Jets in Week 18. The move ends his season after 11 games, nine tackles, a sack and a pass defensed.
The Bills signed cornerback Dane Jackson from the practice squad in a corresponding move.
In three games this season, Jackson totaled three tackles.
The Bills will need Jackson against Jacksonville as they have ruled out Maxwell Harrison, who injured his ankle in Week 18 against the Jets.
The Bills also announced they have signed quarterback Shane Buechele and cornerback Daryl Porter Jr. to the practice squad. Buechele rejoins the Bills after being released by the Chiefs.
Former Bengals wide receiver Jordan Shipley is hospitalized in Austin, Texas after an accident on his ranch.
In a statement released through the University of Texas, Shipley’s family said he was working on a machine that caught fire and caused “severe burns” to Shipley’s body. Shipley was taken to a local hospital and then flown to Austin for further treatment.
Shipley was in critical but stable condition at the time the statement was released on Tuesday night.
Shipley was a two-time All-American at Texas and is the school’s all-time leader in receptions. He was a Bengals third-round pick in 2010 and played in 17 games over two seasons with the team. He also played for the Buccaneers and Jaguars in 2012.
The Bills have found a solution for their injury issue at kicker.
Buffalo announced on Tuesday that the club has signed Matthew Wright to its practice squad.
Wright, 29, appeared in four games this season for three different teams. He made one field goal for in one contest with the Titans, an extra point in one game for the Commanders, and was 4-of-4 on field goals and 2-of-2 on extra points in two games with the Texans.
Wright was Jacksonville’s full-time kicker in 2021, hitting 21-of-24 field goals in 14 games while hitting 13-of-15 extra points. But other than that, he’s been limited to fill-in duty. Nevertheless, he’s connected on 60-of-68 career field goals (88.2 percent) and 45-of-47 extra points (95.7 percent).
Matt Prater aggravated his quad injury during the Bills’ Week 18 victory over the Jets. Michael Badgley had recently filled in for Prater for two games, but missed a pair of extra points.
Head coach Sean McDermott had noted on Monday that the team would have tryouts for kicker.
Additionally, the Bills have signed kicker Maddux Trujillo to a futures deal and released offensive lineman Richard Gouraige from the practice squad.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott gave an update on the team’s kicking situation on Monday.
Matt Prater returned from missing two games with a quad injury against the Jets in Week 18, but he had to leave the game after re-injuring the muscle. On Monday, McDermott said that Prater is considered day-to-day as the team moves toward Sunday’s game in Jacksonville.
McDermott said that the team will be working out kickers in order to have a backup plan in the event Prater is not able to play.
The Bills released Michael Badgley last week when Prater was deemed healthy enough to return. McDermott did not say whether he’s in consideration for a return.
