The finalists for the end-of-season NFL awards have officially been released. From assistant coach of the year, all the way to MVP, the Fresh Takes Sports Podcast has listed its winners. While there was certainly plenty of overlap between the three hosts, it’s clear which awards are wide open and which are a slam dunk.
The MVP is easily Stafford. His 4707 passing yards this season led the league, while his 46 touchdowns outdid the next man by 12. Yes, of course, Puka Nakua leads the receivers by far, but the QB spread the ball around. There were nine receivers to catch one in the end zone, and ten to average 10+ yards per game.
This didn’t feel like much of a contest either. The running backs scored fewer rushing touchdowns than Allen this year, seemingly being less valuable from that point of view alone. Maye deserves his flowers, including the league-leading 72% completion rating. This, of course, in a widely accepted soft schedule this season, and a conservative play caller, knocks him just a couple of spots down the list.
The battle comes down to the receivers. The award was given to Smith-Njigba, but not in a landslide. JSN led the league in receiving yards, while Nacua wasn’t far behind. No other receiver in the NFL bested the one in Los Angeles for 666 YAC on the season. On the other hand, the Seahawk is better at breaking open and creating distance, averaging +2.5 yards before the catch when compared to the Ram.
The argument can justifiably be made for both receivers. Nacau can get in position to catch most throws, and once open, has the tenacity of the Energizer Bunny. Smith-Njigba is better and creating more space downfield, obtaining 216 more yards before the catch on the season.
While Bonitto prompts some praise, how could the single-season record-breaking sack leader be denied the title? For those unaware, Garrett broke the record this season. He’s the majority of the reason any games were even close for the Browns.
There are two feasible responses. Shough is a great surprise for fans of the Saints, but he wasn’t an offensive powerhouse to stress about. After all the hype and a short sample of productive football, things fell apart quickly with the injuries around him. Egbuka had a promising start with the Buccaneers, but their season and his production fell off.
The discussion bounced back and forth between Henderson and McMillan. Points included that the running back is with a better organization, and in a tandem situation with New England. On the other hand, the Panthers were supposed to be a joke, but they ended up making the playoffs with a rookie as their WR1. The award goes to McMillan.
This decision did take discussion. Recognition was given to the Falcons for having two of the five in this list. There’s hope and promise surrounding Carter, but the DROTY needs to be given to Emmanwori. ESPN lists him as a nickel back, while Fox Sports lists him as a safety. In reality, he will do whatever you ask of him.
The same Fox Sports article states, “he’s only played 15 snaps as a true safety. He has more than 300 as a slot corner, more than 250 as a linebacker, about 30 as an outside cornerback, and about 60 as an edge rusher.” There’s no denying the star’s impact on this season’s best scoring defense.
These finalists were quickly narrowed down to Lawrence and McCaffrey. After a year in which it would have been easy to write off the young man, the quarterback bounced back for a career-high 38 total touchdowns and 58.2 QBR. The running back, on the other hand, only played four games in the 2024-25 season due to injury. He returned to play 17 games, including a career high 311 carries, bearing a heavy load of the team’s injury woes.
The majority vote went to McCaffrey, largely due to the return from injury. Lawrence’s resurgence is impressive, but to break the injury-prone narrative and carry your team is a greater comeback than simply getting your groove back.
There were three separate answers to this question, making it the most difficult award to predict. First, Johnson was given his flowers for finally providing playoff production for a typically embarrassing Bears team. After finishing 4-13, Coen led the Jaguars to an inverted record, finishing 13-4 this season. The final nod went to MacDonald. The way he transformed the Seahawks into arguably the most dominant force in football so quickly after a rebuild is impressive – ask the Las Vegas Raiders how tough it is.
This selection did not come without controversy and discussion. The final two were without debate, but the majority ultimately chose one. Some love was given to MacDonald and how he turned around the Seahawks offense, but Joseph won the nod for his work with the Broncos’ defense.
Snoop Dogg will host the 2025 NFL Honors, which takes place at the Saenger Theater in New Orleans on Thursday, February 6, 2025. All questions will be answered starting at 9:00 pm Eastern, so save this article and play along with The Doggfather.
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