2022 Philadelphia Eagles: Let’s Break Down The First Half Awards!

We’re handing out the hardware, which Eagles players have earned the superlatives of MVP, Rookie of the year, Coach of the Year, and more!

Most Valuable Player

Eagles Quarterback Jalen Hurts the MVP of the team this season. The quarterback’s improvement from last year to this year is borderline historic. He is the second quarterback whose completion percentage has gone up at least five percent in his first three seasons. The other quarterback on that list? Buffalo Bills MVP-front-running quarterback Josh Allen.

Hurts is on pace for roughly 4,300 passing yards, 26 passing touchdowns, and four interceptions. Add another 700 rushing yards and 13 rushing touchdowns, and the equation equals the Eagles’ Most Valuable Player. Should Hurts continue his dominance over opposing defenses, he may bring home the hardware league-wide.

Offensive Player Of The Year

Eagles Wide Receiver A.J. Brown has been as advertised since coming to Philadelphia via trade before the 2022 season. Brown is an actual number one receiver and alpha at the position. He leads the team in receiving yards (718) and receiving touchdowns (six) and gives Quarterback Jalen Hurts a go-to target regardless of down and distance. While General Manager Howie Roseman has made many moves in the past few seasons to upgrade his roster, the trade with the Tennessee Titans for Brown is the best. Simply put, this Philadelphia Eagles offense has been completely transformed with the presence of Brown.

Defensive Player Of The Year

Eagles Safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson leads the league with five interceptions heading into Week Ten action. Much like the trade for A.J. Brown, Howie Roseman pulled off a “Madden-like” trade with the New Orleans Saints for Gardner-Johnson earlier this season. While “CJ-deuce” had not played meaningful minutes as a traditional Safety in New Orleans, the shift from Cornerback to Safety has been seamless for the fourth-year player out of the University of Florida. The decision to acquire the 24-year-old Gardner-Johnson has worked wonders for Defense Coordinator Johnathan Gannon in 2022.

Special Teams Player Of The Year

This award goes to second-year Cornerback Zech McPhearson. The defensive back won the Special Teams Player of the Week award for the NFC in Week One. McPhearson has played a crucial role with the coverage units on kickoff and punt return duties.

McPhearson has played the role of “Gunner” this season and has excelled at it. McPhearson enters week ten action tied for fifth in the NFL with eight special teams tackles. The former Texas Tech Red Raider has turned heads in this elevated role on special teams and should garner more playing time down the stretch as a backup outside corner for the Eagles.

Rookie Of The Year

While most of the 2022 Eagles rookie class hasn’t played meaningful snaps, rookie Defensive Tackle Jordan Davis has. The first-round pick out of the University of Georgia has had his ups and downs, but the upside the young man brings to the defense is incredible.

According to Pro Football Focus, Davis has posted a Run Defense Grade of 77.7 through week eight this season. A perfect fit for a versatile 3-4 scheme as a nose tackle, Davis has excelled at plugging gaps and stuffing rushing lanes this season. While some reps do not look pretty, Davis has been a stellar addition to an already elite defensive line.

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Comeback Player Of The Year

Linebacker TJ Edwards has EARNED this award. The former undrafted linebacker out of the University of Wisconsin has scratched and clawed his way to being a key defensive player. With Javon Hargrave and Haason Reddick plugging the trenches, Edwards has come on strong in his third full season with the team. While the Eagles’ front office has always liked Edwards, giving him a one-year contract extension this past offseason, it’s hard to imagine anyone thinking he would make the jump he has this year.

Coach Of The Year

Head Coach Nick Sirianni may win this award NFL-wide at the season’s end. The second full year as a head coach has been kind to Sirianni, having won eight games in eight tries. NFL level. Sirianni’s coaching style with his players and subordinates has worked wonders in 2022. Sirianni needs just one more win to tie his win total in 2021, nine, and just two more wins to break that mark.

Sirianni has the entire team playing lights out this season. The 2022 Eagles are just the second team since the 1970 NFL merger to record 18+ takeaways and three-or-fewer turnovers through the first eight games of a season. The Eagles’ front office has found their head coach for years to come.

In Conclusion

The Philadelphia Eagles remain the only unbeaten team across the league. While Philly has put a premium on certain positions leading into this season, you can say it’s been a collective effort to get to this point. Of course, having one of the best offensive lines, a top-ten receiver, a “bend but don’t break” defense, an up-and-coming head coach, and a quarterback playing at an MVP level helps.

Overall, the Eagles have plenty of players performing at a high level in 2022. We will have to wait and see how many of these awards change hands from mid-season to the end of the regular season!

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