The NFL on Thursday unveiled the full slate of finalists for its eight major Associated Press awards, setting the stage for the annual NFL Honors ceremony on Feb. 5 in San Francisco. The event, hosted by Jon Hamm, will celebrate the league’s top performers from the 2025 regular season, with winners announced across categories including Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, and both Rookie of the Year honors.
The Most Valuable Player race features a star-studded group headlined by quarterbacks Matthew Stafford, Drake Maye, and Josh Allen. Rounding out the five finalists are Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence and San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey. Stafford and Maye have long been viewed as the leading contenders, and their teams could potentially meet in the Super Bowl if both advance this weekend. Stafford earned first-team All-Pro honors, a distinction that often aligns with MVP results, though Allen broke that trend last season by winning the award despite missing out on the top All-Pro spot.
McCaffrey’s presence among the finalists caps an impressive comeback, after missing much of the 2024 season due to bilateral Achilles tendinitis and later a PCL injury. McCaffrey returned in strong form this year, piling up 1,202 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. Both McCaffrey and Lawrence are also finalists for Comeback Player of the Year, while McCaffrey remains in contention for Offensive Player of the Year as well.
The list of Coach of the Year finalists highlights three first-year head coaches: Liam Coen of the Jaguars, Ben Johnson of the Bears, and Mike Vrabel of the Patriots. All three guided their teams to playoff appearances, with Vrabel’s New England squad set to play in the AFC Championship Game against Denver.
Voting for all awards is handled by the Associated Press and is based solely on regular-season performance, meaning postseason results will not influence the final outcomes. In total, finalists were named for eight honors, including MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Assistant Coach of the Year.
For the full list of finalists, head to NFL.com.
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