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NFL NationESPN
Before the Kansas City Chiefs (16-3) and Philadelphia Eagles (16-3) meet at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, for Super Bowl LVII (Sunday, 6:30 p.m. ET, Fox), the best of the NFL will gather in Phoenix for Thursday’s NFL Honors.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who will appear in his third Super Bowl in four years, is the favorite to take home his second MVP award and is also a finalist for Offensive Player of the Year. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is also up for both awards.
The New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks each have several finalists for Thursday’s awards. Jets rookies Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson are nominated for Defensive and Offensive Rookie of the Year, respectively, as are Seahawks rookies Tariq Woolen and Kenneth Walker III. If either pair of teammates win, it would be only the third time in history that teammates have won the Offensive and Defensive Rookie awards in the same year. New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara and cornerback Marshon Lattimore won in 2017, and running back Mel Farr and cornerback Lem Barney of the Detroit Lions won in 1967.
Here’s a look at who took home the awards and why:
Offensive Player of the Year
Justin Jefferson | WR | Minnesota Vikings
Jefferson produced one of the best seasons for a receiver in NFL history in 2022. He led the league with 128 receptions, became one of seven players ever to surpass 1,800 yards in a season (1,809) and made the most iconic catch of the year: A one-handed snag to convert a fourth-and-18 during a comeback victory over the Buffalo Bills.
Along the way, Jefferson broke team records for catches and yards in a season, held by Pro Football Hall of Fame members Cris Carter and Randy Moss, respectively. He did it all before his 24th birthday — and agreed that he has plenty of room to grow.
“I can always get better at things,” he said after the Vikings’ season ended. “I’m not a perfect person. I’m not the perfect receiver. … There’s always room for improvement, and I’m definitely going to be improving as much as possible this offseason.” — Kevin Seifert
Defensive Player of the Year
Nick Bosa | DE | San Francisco 49ers
After a late-season win against the Washington Commanders, Bosa, who rarely talks about individual accomplishments, acknowledged that he has dreamed about winning the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award since he was young. Mission accomplished.
Bosa was consistently the most dominant defender in the league in 2022, posting a league-leading (and career-high) 18.5 sacks, along with 51 tackles, two forced fumbles and 58 quarterback pressures (third most in the league) in 16 games.
The honor comes just two years after Bosa suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in Week 2 of the 2020 season. Bosa bounced back from the injury with 15.5 sacks in 2021 but felt like he didn’t finish with as many sacks as he should have.
“I think everybody here knows that he is just elite and he’s the best,” linebacker Fred Warner said in December. “He put the stamp on it. That’s what you need from your best players to make plays where it matters the most. I’m so happy for him and I’m so proud of him.” — Nick Wagoner
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Garrett Wilson | WR | New York Jets
Wilson is the first player in Jets history to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Yes, really. After a few dropped passes in training camp and an uneventful regular-season opener, Wilson busted out in Week 2 with a game-winning touchdown reception against the Cleveland Browns. After that, he quickly ascended to the WR1 role in the Jets’ offense.
Drafted 10th overall, he finished with 83 catches for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns, becoming the first Jets rookie (the 23rd rookie in NFL history) to reach the 1,000-yard receiving plateau. He compiled those numbers with below-average quarterback play, illustrating how dominant he was at times. He led all rookies in receptions and receiving yards.
What separated Wilson from the rest was … well, his separation ability. With tremendous body control and sneaky stop-and-start speed, he was able to pull away from defenders at the top of his routes and in the open field with the ball in his hands. At times, he carried the passing attack, as he recorded six games with at least 90 yards and five games in which he was targeted at least 11 times. The Jets have a checkered history when it comes to drafting offensive players, but they struck gold with Wilson. — Rich Cimini