After two weeks of no football, the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots’ Super Bowl XLIX rematch is just around the corner.
Until then, tonight is the night where the NFL awards players for their spectacular performances over the 2025-2026 stretch at the 2026 NFL Honors.
Throughout the year, fans witnessed incredible performances from many players, but only one player can win the award in each of the league’s seven categories.
For example, if the Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback Daniel Jones had not suffered a season-ending ACL tear in Week 14, he could have been nominated for Comeback Player of the Year.
While with the New York Giants, Jones experienced little to no success, pushing the Giants to write him off and release him on Nov. 22, 2024.
Fast forward to the 2025-2026 campaign, the former Duke Blue Devil nearly returned the Colts to the playoffs for the first time since the 2020-2021 run.
With that being said, in this week’s rendition of Tyler’s Take, I will predict the winners of all eight categories of the NFL Honors.
Most Valuable Player:
Patriots’ Quarterback Drake Maye
Los Angeles Rams’ Quarterback Matthew Stafford
Buffalo Bills’ Quarterback Josh Allen
Jacksonville Jaguars’ Quarterback Trevor Lawrence
San Francisco 49ers’ Running Back Christian McCaffrey
Prediction: Stafford
For the first time in his 17-year career, Stafford could go home with an MVP award.
In the 2025 preseason, it was unknown if the 37-year-old would start for the Rams, as he sustained an aggravated back injury.
Despite the setback, Stafford was ready for Week 1 and exceeded expectations from then on.
Within 17 games, the former Georgia Bulldog landed No. 1 with 4,707 passing yards, ranked No. 1 with 46 touchdowns and tied for No. 17 with eight interceptions. Collectively, the veteran ended the year at No. 4 with a 71 quarterback rating.
Offensive Rookie of the Year:
Carolina Panthers’ Wide Receiver Tetairoa McMillan
Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Wide Receiver Emeka Egbuka
Giants’ Quarterback Jaxon Dart
Patriots’ Running Back TreVeyon Henderson
New Orleans Saints’ Quarterback Tyler Shough
Prediction: McMillan
In 17 matches, McMillan quickly became shot-caller Bryce Young’s No. 1 target. In his first year with the Panthers, the former Arizona Wildcat led the franchise with 1,014 receiving yards.
The 22-year-old not only topped all rookie wideouts in receiving yards, but was also the only first-year player to exceed 1,000 receiving yards.
In total, McMillan hauled in 70 receptions, averaging 14.5 yards per catch for seven touchdowns.
Defensive Rookie of the Year:
Cleveland Browns’ Linebacker Carson Schwesinger
Atlanta Falcons’ Linebacker James Pearce Jr.
Seahawks’ Safety Nick Emmanwori
Falcons’ Safety Xavier Watts
Prediction: Schwesinger
With pick No. 33 of the 2025 NFL draft, the Browns selected Schwesinger, who showed why he’s the best at tackling.
Within 16 outings, the former UCLA Bruin racked up 67 solo tackles and 89 assisted tackles for a total of 156 tackles. Additionally, the 22-year-old recorded 2.5 sacks and two interceptions.
Amongst the linebacker rookie class, the California native leads in total tackles, with the Cincinnati Bengal Demetrius Knight Jr. trailing at 106 total tackles.
Offensive Player of the Year:
Patriots’ Quarterback Maye
49ers’ Running Back McCaffrey
Rams’ Wide Receiver Puka Nacua
Falcons’ Running Back Bijan Robinson
Seahawks’ Wide Receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Prediction: Smith-Njigba
During the 2025 offseason, the Seahawks made major moves, especially in their wide receiver room.
First off, the team waived veteran wideout Tyler Lockett, who wore a blue and green jersey for 10 years, on March 5. On the business side, this saved the franchise $17 million in salary cap space.
A few days later, the squad completed a trade, sending receiver DK Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers. In exchange, the Seahawks received a 2025 second-round pick, a 2025 seventh-round pick and a 2025 sixth-round pick swap.
With all the main weapons out the door, this landed Smith-Njigba wide receiver 1, and he did not disappoint.
Within 17 battles, the former Ohio State Buckeye ranked No. 4 with 119 receptions, placed No. 1 with 1,793 receiving yards and tied for No. 6 with 10 endzone appearances.
Defensive Player of the Year:
Browns’ Defensive End Myles Garrett
Houston Texans’ Defensive End Will Anderson Jr.
Denver Broncos’ Linebacker Nik Bonitto
Detroit Lions’ Defensive End Aidan Hutchinson
Green Bay Packers’ Defensive End Micah Parsons
Prediction: Garrett
For the second time in three years, Garrett has disrupted opponents from finding the end zone.
Most notably, the veteran broke the NFL single-season sack record with 23 takedowns while facing the Bengals in Week 18.
Previously, former Giants’ defensive end Michael Strahan set the bar in 2001 with 22.5 sacks. This lasted until the Steelers’ linebacker TJ Watt tied the record in 2021.
Overall, Garrett finished the 2025-2026 campaign with 60 total tackles and three forced fumbles.
Comeback Player of the Year:
Jaguars’ Quarterback Lawrence
49ers’ Running Back McCaffrey
Dallas Cowboys’ Quarterback Dak Prescott
Patriots’ Wide Receiver Stefon Diggs
Lions’ Defensive End Hutchinson
Prediction: McCaffrey
After dealing with severe bilateral Achilles tendinitis that forced him to the sidelines for 14 of the 49ers’ 17 games in the 2024-2025 run, McCaffrey returned to his old self.
Following the powerful runner’s absence, the 29-year-old carried the ball 311 times for 1,202 rushing yards and touchdowns.
With several injured offensive weapons limiting the squad’s full potential, McCaffrey played a crucial role in not only moving the chains but also crossing the goal line.
Coach of the Year:
Patriots’ Head Coach Mike Vrabel
Chicago Bears’ Head Coach Ben Johnson
Seahawks’ Head Coach Mike Macdonald
49ers’ Head Coach Kyle Shanahan
Jaguars’ Head Coach Liam Coen
Prediction: Mike Vrabel
After taking a year off from coaching, Mike Vrabel turned the Patriots around in one season. With an overall 14-3 record, the franchise won the AFC East and returned to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2019.