The NFL Honors are a chance to acknowledge the performance of athletes who have performed exceptionally in the regular season. Major awards include Most Valuable Player (MVP), Offensive Player of the Year, or Defensive Player of the Year. Rookies could come away with either Offensive Rookie of the Year or Defensive Rookie of the Year. Coaches can also be recognized through the Coach of the Year. Below is a look at these main awards and others, notable past winners, the traits that connect award winners, and how these awards boost players’ reputations.
Most Valuable Player (MVP)
The MVP award goes to the top individual player in the regular season. LA Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford received the 2025 award, but notable players to have won it previously include the great Tom Brady, who won the regular-season award three times while playing with the New England Patriots; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (5), and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (1 with the Denver Broncos and 3 with the Colts).
Offensive Player of the Year
The Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba claimed the NFL’s 2025 Offensive Player of the Year award. The WR built a consistent average of 72 yards in 15 out of 17 games and, with 1,793 yards, led the league in receiving yards.
It will come as no surprise that the legendary Tom Brady laid his hands on this award twice (2007 and 2010). Like the Seattle Seahawks wide receiver, Brady was consistent throughout his career. He worked hard and raised everyone else’s game around him.
Defensive Player of the Year
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garret claimed the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year unanimously after piling up 23 sacks in a single season and setting a new NFL sack record.
Notable previous winners of the award include Aaron Donald, the LA Rams defensive end who has won the award three times, former New York Giants outside linebacker Lawrence Taylor (3) and ex-Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watts (3).
Protector of the Year
The offensive lineman is a position under-represented in traditional awards, so the NFL created the new honor, Protector of the Year. Chicago Bears offensive lineman Joe Thuney received the inaugural award for the 2025 season after leading the Bears to an AFC North Division title, an 11-6 regular-season record and the squad’s first postseason victory since 2010.
Odds are already being set for the 2026 Protector of the Year, and Detroit Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell is the favorite. However, predicting a winner is harder, as a panel of retired offensive linemen is deciding the winner, not members of the media.
Coach of the Year
Mike Vrabel’s immediate impact on the New England Patriots has won him the 2025 Coach of the Year. The main man at the Patriots turned the team around in his first season there, having taken the New Englanders from 4-13 in 2024 to a 14-3 regular season in 2025.
Vrabel isn’t the only Patriots coach to have received a Coach of the Year award. Coaching GOAT Bill Belichick has also won the award in the past. Belichick taught the game fundamentals the same way, kept players accountable, was big on preparation and got the best out of players.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan received the 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year. The previous season, a certain Washington Commanders quarterback named Jayden Daniels received the 2024 award after turning the franchise’s fortunes around and even almost taking them to a Super Bowl.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Awards-wise, the 2025 season was good for the Cleveland Browns, as Carson Schwesinger also picked up an award, this one for being Defensive Rookie of the Year. Schwesinger, who started life at UCLA and played on the first-team All-Big Ten before joining the Browns, quickly showed he had what it takes and stacked up 156 tackles in his first NFL regular season.
The previous season, LA Rams defensive end Jared Verse had hit the ground running as a rookie from Florida State and recorded a sack in his first game. He finished with 4.3 sacks. His performance earned him the honor.
How NFL honors boost players’ reputations
NFL Honors boost a player’s reputation massively. The players earn peers’ and other players’ respect, and when the NFL is considering who to induct in the Pro Hall of Fame, awards count. Awards also create leverage for players to command higher wages and make them more marketable. This marketability can lead to sponsorship deals and other opportunities.
Awards are an important way for the NFL to acknowledge players’ achievements and their contribution to the season. They boost players’ reputations and, as sports betting fans check odds to see who the favorite for the next season, boost engagement with the NFL. Other NFL honors include Assistant Coach of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year.