The playoffs are here, but before we move on to this weekend’s games (and MMQB’s Super Bowl predictions will arrive on Friday), let’s take one last look at the season to hand out our prizes.
The six-member panel of the MMQB has voted on our options to win the NFL’s top prizes. Unlike AP awards, we do a top five vote for each award, awarding five points for a first-place vote, four points for a second-place vote, etc.
These are our voters:
Alberto Breer, NFL Senior Reporter
Conor Orr, staff writer
miguel rosenberg, senior writer
andres brandt, football columnist business
Gary gramling, Chief editor
Mitch Goldich, editor / writer
most valuable Player
1. Aaron Rodgers: 29 points (5 firsts, 1 second)
2. Tom Brady: 22 points (1 first, 4 seconds)
3. Joe Burrow: 15 points (4 thirds, 1 quarter, 1 fifth)
T-4. Cooper Kupp: 7 points (1 second, 1 third)
T-4. Dak Prescott: 7 points (1 third, 2 quarters)
6. Justin Herbert: 3 points (1 quarter, 1 fifth)
T-7. Josh Allen: 2 points (1 quarter)
T-7. Matthew Stafford: 2 points (1 quarter)
T-9. Jonathan Taylor: 1 point (1 fifth)
T-9. TJ Watt: 1 point (1 fifth)
T-9. Patrick Mahomes: 1 point (1 fifth)
It wasn’t unanimous, but our group gave Rodgers his fourth career MVP award and the second in a row. After all the drama of his offseason and then the beating loss in Week 1, he played at the level we’re used to seeing from him and led the Packers to the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Tom Brady did enough Tom Brady stuff to earn a first-place vote, but he hasn’t won the award since 2017. How lazy! Unsurprisingly, the list is headed by quarterbacks, but players in other positions received some love on the ballot.
Offensive Player of the Year
1. Cooper Kupp: 26 points (3 first, 2 seconds, 1 third)
2. Jonathan Taylor: 22 points (1 first, 3 seconds, 1 third, 1 quarter)
T-3. Mark Andrews: 9 points (1 third, 3 quarters)
T-3. Davante Adams: 9 points (2 thirds, 1 quarter, 1 fifth)
T-5. Trent Williams: 6 points (1 first, 1 fifth)
T-5. Deebo Samuel: 6 points (1 third, 1 fourth, 1 fifth)
7. Aaron Rodgers: 5 points (1 first)
8. George Kittle: 4 points (1 second)
T-9. Kyler Murray: 1 point (1 fifth)
T-9. Austin Ekeler: 1 point (1 fifth)
T-9. Jordan Mailata: 1 point (1 fifth)
The most confusing and difficult prize to analyze will be a close race between Kupp and Taylor. Our panel gave it to the wide receiver, who didn’t set the records for receptions and yards in a single NFL season, but he came very close. Taylor finished more than 500 rushing yards ahead of everyone else, and was seen as an MVP candidate (some) when the Colts looked like a sure thing for the playoffs. Maybe the Indianapolis strangulation in weeks 17 and 18 hurt him here. (Should I have? What a strange award!) One voter put Aaron Rodgers first. After all, he is the MVP and an offensive player. And a salute to the offensive linemen.
Scott Galvin / USA TODAY Sports
Defensive Player of the Year
1. TJ Watt: 29 points (first 5, 1 second)
2. Micah Parsons: 19 points (1 first, 2 seconds, 1 third, 1 fourth, 1 fifth)
3. Aaron Donald: 18 points (2 seconds, 3 thirds, 1 fifth)
4. Myles Garrett: 14 points (1 second, 1 third, 3 quarters)
5. Darius Leonard: 5 points (2 quarters, 1 fifth)
6. De’Vondre Campbell: 3 points (1 third)
7. Trevon Diggs: 2 points (2 fifths)
Defensive Player of the Year is another career that seemed terribly close at the end of the season, but Watt probably ended up tying a season-long sack record in Week 18. Micah Parsons will win another award next (not exactly a spoiler) . ), and Aaron Donald already has three of these trophies — the real ones, the MMQB does not award trophies. So maybe being a new name, albeit clearly recognizable, helps here too.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
1. Ja’Marr Chase: 30 points (first 6)
2. Mac Jones: 23 points (5 seconds, 1 third)
3. Rashawn Slater: 11 points (2 thirds, 2 quarters, 1 fifth)
4. Jaylen Waddle: 10 points (1 second, 2 thirds)
5. Creed Humphrey: 6 points (1 third, 1 fourth, 1 third)
6. Kyle Pitts: 4 points (2 quarters)
7. Amon-Ra St. Brown: 3 points (3 fifths)
8. DeVonta Smith: 2 points (1 quarter)
9. Penei Sewell: 1 point (1 fifth)
Jones likely led this race for most of the season, when his Patriots were in first place, but Chase walked away and unanimously claimed it. The outstanding rookie catcher had a combination of excellent production (81 receptions, 1,455 yards), dazzling highlights and big moments. There were other very good rookies this year, including several offensive linemen on our list, but Chase was a no-brainer. Three other catchers won votes, while Jones was the only member of the highly anticipated class of quarterbacks to appear on someone’s ballot.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
1. Micah Parsons: 30 points (first 6)
2. Patrick Surtain II: 24 points (6 seconds)
3. Odafe Oweh: 13 points (4 thirds, 1 fifth)
T-4. Christian Barmore: 9 points (1 third, 2 quarters, 2 fifths)
T-4. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah: 9 points (3 quarters, 3 fifths)
6. Jevon Holland: 3 points (1 third)
7. Gregory Rousseau: 2 points (1 quarter)
Speaking of unanimous awards, Parsons finished second in our Defense Player of the year, so it was a no-brainer for Defensive Rookie of the year. I’m not sure what else needs to be said about him at this point as people have basically already fined him for Canton. Patrick Surtain II delivered as one of the top 10 picks, and our six voters included him in second place.
Katie Stratman / USA TODAY Sports
Return to Player of the Year
1. Joe Burrow: 28 points (first 4, 2 seconds)
2. Dak Prescott: 24 points (2 firsts, 2 seconds, 2 thirds)
3. Nick Bosa: 18 points (2 seconds, 3 thirds, 1 fifth)
4. Jimmy Garoppolo: 7 points (3 quarters, 1 fifth)
T-5. Tyron Smith: 3 points (1 third)
T-5. Courtland Sutton: 3 points (1 quarter, 1 fifth)
T-7. CJ Mosley: 2 points (1 quarter)
T-7. Joe Mixon: 2 points (1 quarter)
T-7. Carson Wentz: 2 points (2 fifths)
10. Rasul Douglas: 1 point (1 fifth)
Burrow was rejected from the Pro Bowl (in part because they voted too early) and entered the MVP conversation late after he made up his mind pretty well, but he was a winner here. He tore his ACL and ACL in Week 11 last season and then spoke openly about how difficult it was to come back and face the action live on this training ground. He picked up right where he left off and had a great season for the Bengals. Prescott was the preseason favorite here and he also did a great job coming back from a horrible injury, getting two first-place votes. This is always one of the weirdest awards, as you look at the guys and wonder what exactly they came back from (Wentz came back from… being banned by Jalen Hurts?). Douglas was cut by the Raiders and Texans, and signed with the Cardinals practice team before making some of the biggest plays of the Packers season.
coach of the year
1. Mike Vrabel: 21 points (2 first, 2 seconds, 1 third)
2. Matt LaFleur: 19 points (2 firsts, 2 seconds, 1 fifth)
3. Zac Taylor: 12 points (1 second, 2 thirds, 1 quarter)
4. John Harbaugh: 9 points (1 first, 1 second)
5. Nick Sirianni: 6 points (1 third, 1 fourth, 1 fifth)
T-6. Mike Tomlin: 3 points (1 third)
T-6. Frank Reich: 3 points (1 third)
T-6. Rich Bisaccia: 3 points (1 quarter, 1 fifth)
9. David Culley: 2 points (1 quarter)
10. Brian Flores: 1 point (1 fifth)
LaFleur has received a lot of love for his track record of three years coaching the Packers, but this is a one-year award, and our panel just gave it to Vrabel. The Titans coach led an injury-devastated team to the No. 1 seed in the AFC, although he was left off a ballot. This was an open vote, however, with love for four coaches who missed the playoffs, an interim coach in Las Vegas, and coaches who would soon be fired or expected to be fired at the time of our vote.
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.