-
Jamison Hensley
In the biggest surprise of Thursday night’s NFL Honors ceremony in New Orleans, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen overcame the prevailing trend to beat Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson for The Associated Press’ NFL Most Valuable Player award.
Allen is the first player in 21 seasons to win MVP without being selected first-team All-Pro. Since MVP was first handed out in 1957, the only other players to win the award despite not being a first-team All-Pro were Broncos quarterback John Elway (1987, when Joe Montana was first-team All-Pro) and Titans quarterback Steve McNair (2003, Peyton Manning).
In what was one of the most hotly contested MVP races in recent memory, Allen received 27 of the 50 first-place votes, four more than Jackson, who was selected first-team All-Pro quarterback last month. It’s the same voters for MVP and All-Pro, which is why many thought Jackson was the favorite to win what would have been his third MVP award.
How did it happen? Jackson had 30 of the 50 first-team All-Pro votes, while Allen got 18. Allen then won the first-place votes for MVP 27-23. But nine voters picked Jackson first for Offensive Player of the Year and Allen first for MVP, leading to the flip.
Allen became the third Bills player to win MVP (O.J. Simpson in 1973, Thurman Thomas in 1991). The four-vote difference in terms of first-place votes is the smallest since 2003, when Manning and McNair were selected co-MVPs with 16 each.
“I know this is an individual award and it says Most Valuable Player on it,” Allen said while holding the trophy, “but I think it’s derived from team success, and I love my team.”
Allen thanked the other finalists, including Jackson, adding: “They all had great seasons and all could be standing here today and you guys would be deserving of it. You guys are true stewards of the game. I look up to you guys. I admire you guys.”
Even though Allen trailed Jackson in nearly every major statistical category, the prevailing narrative was the Bills QB accomplished more with less. After losing his top two wide receivers — Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis — Allen led the Bills to the AFC East title and the second-best record in the AFC (13-4).
Allen became the first player in NFL history to record at least 25 touchdown passes, 10 touchdown runs and fewer than 10 interceptions in a season. He finished with 28 touchdown passes, 12 rushing touchdowns and 6 interceptions.
“Josh Allen’s leadership, his consistent leadership, was the biggest reason why we did what we did this season,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said during the season. “So, anybody that tries to say otherwise, I know better. I’ve seen it, and him now doing that every season for us, not an easy undertaking, but he is and was the reason, his leadership, his play … was connected to his level of leadership on our football team. So, I believe those two went hand in hand and he continues to do that, we’re going to win a lot of football games.”
Jackson left the NFL Honors show empty-handed despite putting up his best statistical season, recording numbers that were superior to his MVP seasons in 2019 and 2023. He took his game to another level in his seventh NFL season, setting career highs with 4,172 passing yards and 41 touchdown passes. In leading the Ravens to their first No. 1 ranking in offense, Jackson became the first player in league history to produce more than 4,000 yards passing and 900 yards rushing in the same season.
His 119.6 passer rating was the fourth highest in NFL history and trailed only Aaron Rodgers (122.5 in 2011 and 121.5 in 2020) and Manning (121.1 in 2004). Rodgers and Manning won MVP in those seasons.
Offensive Player of Year
Running back Saquon Barkley capped a remarkable first season in Philadelphia by becoming the first Eagles player to win the award.
Barkley became the ninth player to rush for more than 2,000 yards and finished 100 yards shy of Eric Dickerson’s all-time record. His 142.7 rushing yards per game ranked as the fourth most over the past 15 seasons.
In the voting, Barkley received 35 of 50 first-place votes. The only other player to receive more than one first-place vote was the Ravens’ Jackson, who had 12. Baltimore running back Derrick Henry, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and the Bills’ Allen each received one first-place vote.
Defensive Player of the Year
The Broncos’ Patrick Surtain II became the first cornerback in five years to win the award.
Surtain gave up only two touchdowns and 306 receiving yards, the third fewest among corners with at least 50 targets, according to ESPN Research.
Surtain received 26 first-place votes, beating out Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson (11) and Browns edge Myles Garrett (5).
Surtain thanked his parents — his father, Patrick Surtain Sr., is a former NFL cornerback — for “setting the blueprint and turning a young man into a grown man.” He also thanked the Broncos, as Denver coach Sean Payton nodded in the audience, “for believing in me, trusting me, allowing me to grow and be the player I am today.”
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels completed one of the most impressive NFL debut seasons by winning the award.
In leading Washington to its best season in more than three decades, Daniels transformed a 4-13 team to one that finished 12-5 in the regular season, guiding the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game.
He is the first Washington player to win since quarterback Robert Griffin III in 2012.
The No. 2 pick in the 2024 draft, Daniels became the first rookie in league history to throw for more than 3,500 yards and rush for more than 800 yards in a season. He helped the Commanders to score an average of 28.5 points, which are the most by a team with a rookie quarterback.
Daniels received 49 of 50 first-place votes with the other going to Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers. Broncos QB Bo Nix finished third in the voting.
Daniels also won the Moment of the Year award for his Hail Mary throw to beat the Bears in November.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
The Rams nailed their first first-round pick in eight years when they selected pass rusher Jared Verse, who became the team’s first winner of the award since Aaron Donald in 2014.
Verse, the No. 19 pick, led all rookies with 18 quarterback hits and 50 quarterback pressures, which were 12 more than any other rookie this season.
His 4.5 sacks were fifth among rookies.
Verse received 37 first-place votes, which outdistanced Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (nine) and Rams defensive tackle Braden Fiske.
Comeback Player of the Year
Burrow was selected for the award, adding some humor after a year in which he rebounded from a season-ending wrist injury.
In 2024, Burrow led the NFL in with 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdown passes.
“I wouldn’t say this is necessarily an award you want to be nominated for two times,” Burrow said at the awards show. “I’m proud of the work I put in to come back from these injuries that I seem to face every year.”
Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins and Vikings QB Sam Darnold finished second and third in voting, respectively.
The award was announced by Randy Moss, who sent a videotaped message of thanks as he undergoes treatment for cancer.
The Hall of Fame receiver thanked doctors and fans for their support. The crowd cheered for Moss when a video montage of his career played during the show.
Coach of the Year
In this third season with the Vikings, Kevin O’Connell won the award after leading Minnesota to 14 victories.
This came after the Vikings’ first-round pick, quarterback J.J. McCarthy, suffered a season-ending knee injury in August and the team had a preseason win total prediction of 6.5.
O’Connell guided Minnesota to fifth place in the conference and was one win from the NFC’s top seed after ESPN Analytics gave the Vikings a 24% chance of making the postseason.
He is the second Vikings coach to win the award, joining Bud Grant in 1969.
Other awards:
• Jaguars defensive lineman Arik Armstead won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award, which recognizes a player for excellence on and off the field.
The award was established in 1970 and renamed in 1999 after the late Hall of Fame running back. Each team nominates one player who has had a significant positive impact on his community.
• Former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was named Assistant Coach of the Year. Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and ex-Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn finished second and third in voting, respectively.
• Niners tight end George Kittle won the Salute to Service award for his work supporting U.S. service members.
Information from ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg and The Associated Press was used in this report.