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 capture MVP without being named 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) and Titans quarterback Steve McNair (2003).
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 named 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.
Instead it goes to Allen, who became the third Bills player to win MVP (O.J. Simpson in 1973, Thurman Thomas in 1991). It was the closest MVP race since Matt Ryan beat out Tom Brady in 2016.
“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 six 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 over 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 Peyton 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 Offensive Player of the Year award.
Barkley became the ninth player to rush for over 2,000 yards rushing and finished 100 yards shy of Eric Dickerson’s all-time record. His average of 142.7 yards rushing per game ranked as the fourth-most over the last 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 got 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 this award.
Surtain allowed only two touchdowns and 306 yards receiving, 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 Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
In leading Washington to its best season in more than three decades, Daniels transformed a 4-13 team into a 12-5 one, guiding the Commanders to the NFC Championship Game.
He is the first Washington player to win Offensive Rookie of the Year since quarterback Robert Griffin III in 2012.
After being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 draft, Daniels became the first rookie in league history to throw for over 3,500 yards and rush for over 800 yards in a season. He helped the Commanders to score an average of 28.5 points per game, 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 Defensive Rookie of the Year winner since Aaron Donald in 2014.
Verse, the No. 19 overall 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 took 37 first-place votes, which outdistanced Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (nine) and Rams defensive tackle Braden Fiske.
Comeback Player of the Year
Burrow was named Comeback Player of the Year, 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 yards passing 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 fights 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, the second-most in NFL history.
This came after the Vikings first-round pick quarter J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury before the start of the season and had a preseason win total of 6.5.
O’Connell guided Minnesota to the No. 5 seed in the playoffs and one win from the NFC’s No. 1 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.
In other awards:
• 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.
