Vincent Frank
Who is the best offensive player in the NFL? Will that individual win the NFL Offensive Player of the Year? It’s not a foregone conclusion with the NFL MVP typically coming from this side of the ball.
With NFL players on the offensive side of the ball becoming even more skilled in today’s league, we’re seeing more candidates pop up. Four consecutive non-quarterbacks have come away with this award. Prior to that, OPOY went to a quarterback eight of 11 times.
Who will win the NFL OPOY award in 2023?
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Let’s dive into the NFL Offensive Player of the Year race in 2023 and the history of the award.
NFL Offensive Player of the Year candidates
Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
- Christian McCaffrey stats: 60 attempts, 353 rushing yards, 11 receptions, 70 yards, 403 total yards, 3 TD
McCaffrey is on pace to put up north of 2,000 rushing yards on the season. That’s only happened eight times in the history of the NFL. Of those, seven previous players to accomplish this feat went on to win OPOY. At this rate, McCaffrey has to be considered a candidate.
The 49ers star is also averaging a whopping 3.5 yards after contact per rush and a total of 6.0 yards per touch while catching 85% of his targets from Brock Purdy. His pace of 2,400 total yards is otherworldly, too.
Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
- Justin Jefferson stats: 27 receptions, 458 yards, 1 TD
Last season’s NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Jefferson is on pace for nearly 2,600 receiving yards. To say that this number would shatter the single-season mark is an understatement. Calvin Johnson boasts the record with 1,964. Think about that for a second.
The only thing holding us back from considering Jefferson the OPOY favorite is the fact that he has to be considered a legitimate NFL MVP candidate despite the Vikings’ 0-3 record. If he continues at this record-setting pace, it’s hard to imagine voters looking the other way despite Minnesota likely not being a playoff team. As an aside, the aforementioned pace simply isn’t sustainable.
Tyreek Hill, WR, Miami Dolphins
- Tyreek Hill stats: 25 receptions, 412 yards, 4 TD
Numbers seem to be the biggest component voters for this award take into account. At this point last season, most figured Hill would break the single-season receiving yards mark. As it is, he finished 11th all-time in receptions and in the top-20 in receiving yards. If that weren’t enough, Hill is on pace to best those numbers by a large amount (142 receptions) and (2,334 yards). Both would be single-season marks by a wide margin. You can do the math if these numbers hold up.
Tua Tagovailoa, QB, Miami Dolphins
- Tua Tagovailoa stats: 71% completion, 1,024 yards, 8 TD, 2 INT
Forget about OPOY, Tua is looking squarely at the MVP award. Fresh off leading the Dolphins to a record-setting 70-point performance in Week 3, Tagovailoa has been the single-best quarterback in the NFL this season. He boasts an absurd 121.9 QB rating while leading the NFL in yards per attempt (10.1) and yards per completion (14.2). Did we mention that his passing yards total would break Peyton Manning’s single-season mark by a good 300. Regardless of whether the 17-game schedule plays a role in this, that’s astonishing.
NFL Offensive Player of the Year odds 2023
Here are the latest NFL OPOY odds entering Week 4, per BetMGM.
- Christian McCaffrey: +475
- Tyreek Hill: +475
- Justin Jefferson: +650
- Tua Tagovailoa: +2200
- CeeDee Lamb: +2500
- Davante Adams: +2500
- Ja’Marr Chase: +2500
- Tony Pollard: +2500
- Jalen Hurts: +3000
NFL Offensive Player of the Year winners
- 2022: Justin Jefferson, WR, Minnesota Vikings
- 2021: Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams
- 2020: Derrick Henry, RB, Tennessee Titans
- 2019: Michael Thomas, WR, New Orleans Saints
- 2018: Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs
- 2017: Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams
- 2016: Matt Ryan, QB, Atlanta Falcons
- 2015: Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers
- 2014: DeMarco Murray, RB, Dallas Cowboys
- 2013: Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos
NFL Offensive Player of the Year winners by position
- Quarterback: 20
- Running back: 26
- Wide receiver: 5
Who has the most NFL Offensive Player of the Year awards?
Hall of Fame running backs Earl Campbell and Marshall Faulk have each won OPOY three times. Quarterbacks Tom Brady, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning join wide receiver Jerry Rice and running back Terrell Davis in having come away with the award twice.
NFL Offensive Player of the Year voting FAQ
Who votes for NFL Offensive Player of the Year?
A panel of 50 Associated Press sportswriters vote on NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Ballots are revealed at the end of each NFL season.
When is the NFL Offensive Player of the Year announced?
The NFL announces its Offensive Player of the Year the day before the Super Bowl at the NFL Honors ceremony.
