The NFL crowned its 2025 season champions at the 15th annual NFL Honors ceremony Thursday night in San Francisco. Matthew Stafford claimed his first MVP award in a nail-biting vote over Drake Maye, while the Cleveland Browns swept the defensive awards with Myles Garrett and Carson Schwesinger taking home top honors.
Hosted by Jon Hamm at the historic Palace of Fine Arts, the ceremony featured surprises, record-breaking performances, and the debut of the inaugural Protector of the Year Award. The Pro Football Hall of Fame also revealed its Class of 2026, with Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald earning first-ballot induction.
Here are all the winners from NFL Honors 2026, held three days before Super Bowl LX between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks.
NFL Honors 2026 Winners – Complete Results
AP Most Valuable Player (Presented by Invisalign)
WINNER: Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams QB
At age 37, Matthew Stafford became the oldest first-time MVP winner in NFL history. The Rams quarterback edged out Patriots quarterback Drake Maye in one of the closest MVP votes ever, earning just one more first-place vote.
Final Voting:
- Matthew Stafford: 366 points (24 first-place votes)
- Drake Maye: 361 points (23 first-place votes)
- Josh Allen: 91 points (2 first-place votes)
- Christian McCaffrey: 71 points (0 first-place votes)
- Trevor Lawrence: 49 points (0 first-place votes)
Stafford led the NFL with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns while throwing just 8 interceptions. He posted a remarkable stretch of 28 consecutive touchdown passes without an interception during the middle of the season. This marks the 8th time in NFL history a quarterback threw for at least 4,500 yards and 45 touchdowns in one season.
Stafford brought his four daughters on stage during his acceptance speech and confirmed he will return for the 2026 season.
AP Offensive Player of the Year (Presented by Microsoft Copilot)
WINNER: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks WR
The Seahawks wide receiver captured Offensive Player of the Year after leading the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards during the 2025 season. Smith-Njigba became just the 5th player ever to lead the league in receiving yards and play in the Super Bowl in the same season. The previous four players who accomplished this feat all won the Lombardi Trophy.
Smith-Njigba will have a chance to join that exclusive club when the Seahawks face the Patriots in Super Bowl LX on Sunday.
Voting Results:
- Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 272 points (14 first-place votes)
- Christian McCaffrey: 223 points (12 first-place votes)
- Puka Nacua: 170 points (8 first-place votes)
- Bijan Robinson: 168 points (6 first-place votes)
- Drake Maye: 58 points (5 first-place votes)
AP Defensive Player of the Year (Presented by TCL)
WINNER: Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns DE
Myles Garrett ran away with Defensive Player of the Year in a unanimous vote after breaking the NFL’s single-season sack record. The Browns defensive end finished with 23 sacks, surpassing the previous record of 22.5 shared by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt.
Garrett accomplished this despite facing double teams or chips on 39.5% of his pass rushes, the highest rate among all edge rushers. He also recorded 33 tackles for loss, the second-most by any player since 2000.
This marks Garrett’s second DPOY award. He previously won in 2023.
Other Finalists:
- Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans DE
- Nik Bonitto, Denver Broncos LB
- Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions DE
- Micah Parsons, Green Bay Packers DE
Rookie of the Year Winners
AP Offensive Rookie of the Year (Presented by EA SPORTS Madden NFL)
WINNER: Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers WR
Carolina’s first-round pick dominated the voting with 41 of 50 first-place votes. McMillan led all rookies in receiving yards (1,014) and touchdowns (7), setting a Panthers franchise record for most receiving yards by a rookie.
McMillan becomes just the second Panthers player to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, joining Cam Newton who won in 2011.
Other Finalists:
- Jaxson Dart, New York Giants QB
- Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR
- TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots RB
- Tyler Shough, New Orleans Saints QB
AP Defensive Rookie of the Year (Presented by EA SPORTS Madden NFL)
WINNER: Carson Schwesinger, Cleveland Browns LB
The Browns linebacker earned 40 of 50 first-place votes after leading all rookies in tackles (146) and tackles for loss (11). Schwesinger’s win gave Cleveland a defensive sweep, as Myles Garrett also won Defensive Player of the Year.
Other Finalists:
- Abdul Carter, New York Giants LB
- Nick Emmanwori, Seattle Seahawks DB
- James Pearce Jr., Atlanta Falcons DE
- Xavier Watts, Atlanta Falcons S
AP Comeback Player of the Year
WINNER: Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers RB
After missing significant time in 2024 due to an Achilles injury, Christian McCaffrey dominated the 2025 season with 2,126 scrimmage yards (2nd in NFL) and 17 total touchdowns (3rd in NFL). The 49ers running back rushed for 1,202 yards and caught 102 passes for 924 yards.
McCaffrey ran away with the vote, earning 31 of 50 first-place votes.
Other Finalists:
- Stefon Diggs, New England Patriots WR
- Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions DE
- Trevor Lawrence, Jacksonville Jaguars QB
- Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys QB
Coaching Awards
AP Coach of the Year
WINNER: Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots
Mike Vrabel orchestrated one of the greatest turnarounds in NFL history. He became the first head coach ever to inherit a 13-loss team and win 13 games in his first season. Vrabel led the Patriots to a 17-3 record (including playoffs) and became just the second coach to reach the Super Bowl as both a player and head coach for the same franchise.
Voting Results:
- Mike Vrabel: 302 points (19 first-place votes)
- Liam Coen, Jacksonville: 239 points (16 first-place votes)
- Mike Macdonald, Seattle: 191 points (8 first-place votes)
- Ben Johnson, Chicago: 145 points (1 first-place vote)
- Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco: 140 points (6 first-place votes)
This is Vrabel’s second Coach of the Year award. He previously won with Tennessee in 2021, making him the 7th coach to win the award with multiple teams.
AP Assistant Coach of the Year
WINNER: Josh McDaniels, New England Patriots OC
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels guided New England to the second-highest scoring offense in the NFL while developing second-year quarterback Drake Maye into an MVP candidate.
Voting Results:
- Josh McDaniels: 249 points (17 first-place votes)
- Vance Joseph, Denver DC: 176 points (10 first-place votes)
- Brian Flores, Minnesota DC: 130 points (8 first-place votes)
- Klint Kubiak, Seattle OC: 102 points (3 first-place votes)
- Vic Fangio, Philadelphia DC: 78 points (4 first-place votes)
Protector of the Year Award (Inaugural)
WINNER: Joe Thuney, Chicago Bears LG
Joe Thuney made history as the first-ever winner of the Protector of the Year Award. The Bears left guard earned first-team All-Pro honors for the fourth straight season and did not allow a single sack all year.
Thuney logged 99.57% of Chicago’s offensive snaps and helped the Bears rank first in pass block win rate and fifth in run block win rate. He posted a 98% pass block win rate, tied for the league lead among interior offensive linemen.
Former NFL offensive linemen selected Thuney for the honor, which debuts this year to recognize excellence on the offensive line.
Other Finalists:
- Garett Bolles (LT), Denver Broncos
- Aaron Brewer (C), Miami Dolphins
- Creed Humphrey (C), Kansas City Chiefs
- Quinn Meinerz (RG), Denver Broncos
- Penei Sewell (RG), Detroit Lions
Additional Awards
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year (Presented by Nationwide)
The winner receives a $250,000 donation to their charity, while all 32 nominees receive $40,000 donations to their chosen charities.
Custom Breitling Watches
All award winners received custom NFL Honors watches from Breitling, the official timepiece partner of the NFL. The MVP received an exclusive special timepiece with unique design elements.
Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026
Five players were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026. The class includes two first-ballot selections and will be enshrined August 8, 2026 in Canton, Ohio.
The Class of 2026:
- Drew Brees, QB (First-ballot) – Retired as NFL career leader in passing yards (80,353) and touchdowns (571). Won Super Bowl XLIV MVP with Saints. 13-time Pro Bowl selection.
- Larry Fitzgerald, WR (First-ballot) – Second all-time in receptions (1,432) and receiving yards (17,492). Spent entire 17-year career with Arizona Cardinals. 11-time Pro Bowl selection.
- Luke Kuechly, LB (Second year) – Won Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. Seven-time Pro Bowl selection who retired after eight seasons due to concussion concerns.
- Adam Vinatieri, K (Second year) – NFL’s all-time leading scorer (2,673 points). Won four Super Bowls. Made game-winning kicks in two Super Bowls.
- Roger Craig, RB (Senior finalist) – First player to record 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards in same season (1985). Won three Super Bowls with 49ers.
Notable Snubs: Bill Belichick (coach), Robert Kraft (contributor), and Eli Manning (second consecutive year) were not selected.
FAQs about 2026 NFL Honors Winners
Who won NFL MVP 2026?
Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams won the 2026 NFL MVP Award. At age 37, he became the oldest first-time MVP winner in NFL history, beating out Drake Maye by just one first-place vote (366-361 points).
Who won Defensive Player of the Year 2026?
Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns won DPOY unanimously after breaking the NFL single-season sack record with 23 sacks.
Who made the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026?
Five players were inducted: Drew Brees (QB), Larry Fitzgerald (WR), Luke Kuechly (LB), Adam Vinatieri (K), and Roger Craig (RB). Brees and Fitzgerald were first-ballot selections.
What is the Protector of the Year Award?
The Protector of the Year is a new award that debuted in 2026 to honor the NFL’s best offensive lineman. Joe Thuney of the Chicago Bears won the inaugural award. Former NFL offensive linemen select the winner.
Did Bill Belichick make the Hall of Fame?
No. Bill Belichick was not selected for the Class of 2026 despite being a finalist in the coach category. The decision drew widespread criticism from the football community.
Who won Offensive Rookie of the Year 2026?
Tetairoa McMillan of the Carolina Panthers won Offensive Rookie of the Year after leading all rookies with 1,014 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns.
Where was NFL Honors 2026 held?
NFL Honors 2026 took place at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco on February 5, 2026. Jon Hamm hosted the ceremony.
The NFL Honors ceremony celebrated excellence from the 2025 season while building excitement for Super Bowl LX. The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will face off Sunday, February 8 at Levi’s Stadium, with several award winners competing for the Lombardi Trophy.
