On Thursday, the NFL Awards finalists for the 2023-24 season were officially announced and it includes many of the top players in the sport, and some of best feel-good stories from this past season.
The latest season in the National Football League is down to its final weeks with the NFC and AFC Championship games set to take place this weekend. With the Super Bowl nearly hear, that means it is also that time of year to reveal the nominees for the various NFL awards for this season.
Also Read: NFL offense rankings for the 2023-24 NFL season
Earlier today the Associated Press unveiled the finalists for their eight season-end awards, including Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year. As we wait for the official winners, let’s take a look at the various players and coaches up for honors this year and who will take home this season’s NFL Awards.
AP NFL MVP Award
Finalists:
- Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
- Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens (Winner)
- Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
- Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
- Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
While there are some strong candidates in the NFL MVP race this season, Lamar Jackson is the man who will get the nod when the official winner is annouced because he was the top star on the team with the best record in the league this season, as he was back to peak levels in 2023-24.
After dealing with injuries last season and ugly contract negotiations in the offseason, Jackson returned with a vengence this season as he not only led the team in passing (3,678 yards and 24 touchdowns) but following the season-ending injury to running back JK Dobbins, he ended up being their top rusher (821 rushing yards and 5 TDs). You can’t get any more valuable than Jackson was this season.
Coach of the Year
Finalists:
- Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions
- John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
- DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans (Winner)
- Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
- Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
Legitimate cases can be made for Dan Campbell, John Harbaugh, and Kyle Shanahan for Coach of the Year due to their impressive success. However, all of those teams were expected to be powerhouses in the league this season. However, the Houston Texans were an after thought with first-year head coach DeMeco Ryans.
Also Read: NFL defense rankings for the 2023-24 NFL season
Not only did the team win 10 games and the AFC South title, but they did so with a rookie QB. Furthermore, he helped mold their offense and defense into top 10 units on both of our rankings lists by the end of the season.
Assistant Coach of the Year
Finalists:
- Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions
- Mike Macdonald, Baltimore Ravens
- Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens
- Jim Schwartz, Cleveland Browns
- Bobby Slowik, Houston Texans (Winner)
The Baltimore Ravens have both of their coordinators on this list but, unfortunately, neither Mike Macdonald or Todd Monken will take him the award this year. Instead it must go to Texans OC Bobby Slowik. In his first year as an NFL OC he helped develop rookie CJ Stroud into a Pro Bowl level player and turned a group little was expected from into a top-10 offense by the end of the season. That’s impressive.
Offensive Player of the Year
Finalists:
- Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
- Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
- CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
- Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers (Winner)
- Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
While it would be easy to give Lamar Jackson the NFL Awards honor for offensive player of the year, we are going in a different direction, because there was no player more spectacular this season that 49ers star Christian McCaffrey. In an era where running backs are marginalized, he proved that the position can still deliver game-changer talent.
While being the heart of the San Francisco offense, the three-time Pro Bowler posted 2,023 total yards and 21 touchdowns. He averaged well over five yards per carry, and averaged over 120 yards of the team’s offense each week. McCaffrey had a special season.
Defensive Player of the Year
Finalists:
- DaRon Bland, Dallas Cowboys
- Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders
- Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
- Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys (Winner)
- TJ Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
The NFL awards nominees for Defensive Players of the Year is stacked. Every player was a massive force on some of the better defenses in the league, however, 2023-24 seemed to be the year where Micah Parsons elevated himself to being not just one of the best players on defense, but one of the most impactful on either side of the ball.
In 2023-24 the Cowboys star had 64 tackles, 14 sacks, one forced fumble, 69 hurries, and 102 pressures. He was an absolute beast and the Dallas defense would have been a very different group without him.
Comeback Player of the Year
Finalists:
- Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns
- Damar Hamlin, Buffalo Bills
- Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Winner)
- Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
- Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
Browns QB Joe Flacco was one of the best comeback stories late in the NFL season, however, that was only in the final weeks of the year. Matthew Stafford also had a fantastic bounce back season as he led one of the better offenses in the league. But, Baker Mayfield’s resurrection in Tampa Bay was unexpected and fun to watch.
At this point in his career, he had been written off as a draft bust and was seen as a stop-gap signal-caller after Tom Brady’s retirement. However, under the guidance of offensive coordinator Dave Canales, he had a career year and was among the league leaders in passing yards, touchdowns, and passer rating in 2023. After his impressive showing he is set to get a massive pay raise next season.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Finalists:
- Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
- Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
- Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
- Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
- CJ Stroud, Houston Texans (Winner)
While Puka Nacua was one of the best stories in the league this season, this category has an easy winner. Without a shadow of a doubt, CJ Stroud is the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Being one of the best quarterbaks in the league in his rookie season makes this choice a no-brainer.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Finalists:
- Will Anderson, Houston Texans (Winner)
- Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles
- Joey Porter Jr., Pittsburgh Steelers
- Kobie Turner, Los Angeles Rams
- Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks
While CJ Stroud was the rookie Texans rookie who got much of the main stream attention, the third overall pick in 2023, Will Anderson Jr., was nearly just as impactful in his first season in the league. The newcomer was a major part of an defense that far surpassed expectations this past season and is a major reason why many NFL experts believe the Texans are built to be a perrenial playoff team in the years ahead.