The NFL season is ramping up, and it’s a good time to check in on the top performers thus far. Today, we’re looking at seven different awards and giving our pick for each winner at the halfway point. Each category has a handful of worthy candidates. Here are our picks for the NFL awards through Week 9:
Comeback Player of the Year — QB Joe Burrow, Bengals
This seemed like Damar Hamlin’s award to lose before the season began. However, several worthy candidates have stepped into the fray. Two quarterbacks, in particular, stand out. One is Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins who has come on strong for the Falcons as of late. The other is Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow who is putting up MVP numbers despite dealing with injuries on the offensive side of the ball. Both guys missed nearly half the season last year. Cousins will almost certainly lead his team to the playoffs by winning the NFC South. The Bengals’ playoff hopes are a bit murkier, but Burrow’s current play should be enough to get them a Wild Card spot.
In the end, we give a slight nod to Burrow because he’s made more of a genuine “comeback”. He’s putting up extraordinary numbers (2,244 yards, 20 TDs, 4 INTs) after being mostly mediocre last year. Cousins is on the same pace as he was last year before getting hurt. Don’t count out Aaron Rodgers, either. If the Jets run the table to end the year, he’ll be in the running.
Offensive Rookie of the Year — QB Jayden Daniels, Commanders
This is one of the easier ones to predict. Jayden Daniels hasn’t looked like a rookie since stepping onto an NFL field. Daniels has lived up to massive expectations, and then some. He’s making throws befitting a 10-year veteran and had led the Commanders to a 7-2 start. The dynamic dual-threat can get it done through the air or on the ground and doesn’t make too many mistakes. Any chance of No. 1 pick Caleb Williams potentially creeping up into the race was shot down when Daniels ended their Week 8 matchup with a walk-off Hail Mary.
It should be noted that in any other year, Raiders TE Brock Bowers would be a runaway favorite for this award. Bowers ranks 2nd in receptions and 10th in yards across all pass catchers in the NFL — not just tight ends. He’s on pace to shatter almost every rookie TE record in NFL history and deserves some recognition.
Defensive Rookie of the Year — EDGE Jared Verse, Rams
We knew the Defensive Rookie of the Year race would be tricky after the first 13 picks in last April’s NFL Draft were spent on offensive players. Jared Verse went pick No. 19 to the Los Angeles Rams and has been a nice piece for the NFC contenders. He’s collected 3.5 sacks through eight games — 2.5 of which have come during LA’s recent three-game winning streak. Other names to follow are safety Jaylen McCollough (Verse’s teammate) who ranks 3rd in the NFL in interceptions with 4, and Philadelphia DBs Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell who have starred in their roles.
Coach of the Year — Jim Harbaugh, Chargers
Coach of the Year typically goes to the team that improves their win total the most from the previous year. That makes Washington’s Dan Quinn an obvious choice. It can also end up with a coach that overcomes the most roster adversity. Mike Tomlin has the Steelers atop the AFC North while shuffling between two QBs whose previous teams didn’t want them anymore. Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell has the Vikings in contention despite losing first-round pick JJ McCarthy for the year before the season started.
While there’s no obvious choice, Jim Harbaugh’s case should be mentioned. The Chargers are 5-3 and in a great spot to earn a playoff spot. What he’s done for the defense has been remarkable. The defense ranks 1st in scoring this year after a 24th-place finish a year ago. If Justin Herbert gets going, the Chargers can win 11-plus games and Harbaugh might be a lock.
Offensive Player of the Year — RB Derrick Henry, Ravens
The NFL is a quarterback-driven league, but no QB has been named Offensive Player of the Year since Patrick Mahomes in 2018. Looking past the QBs, we have a pair of running backs with a strong case. Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley have starred for their new teams. You can’t go wrong with either candidate. Henry was the first runner to crack 1,000 yards this year and has scored a TD in each game this season. Barkley has been dynamic and helped carry an Eagles team with several injuries. Henry gets the slight edge here due to touchdowns. It’s in his favor 13-8. If Barkley can close that gap, he’ll have a real case.
Defensive Player of the Year — EDGE T.J. Watt, Steelers
This award has celebrated the league’s top pass rusher for quite some time. Out of the last 10 winners, CB Stephon Gilmore is the only recipient who wasn’t on the defensive line. Aaron Donald won in three of those years, and the rest were edge rushers. That trend will likely continue this season as Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt is in pole position to capture his second Defensive Player of the Year award. Watt is the leader and best player for one of the best defenses in the league. He always seems to make the big play when the Steelers need it. While he has a way to catch Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson for the sack lead (11.0), Watt will have plenty of counting stats by season’s end.
MVP — QB Lamar Jackson, Ravens
Is a third MVP in the cards for Lamar Jackson? It certainly seems like it. Jackson is having a remarkable year for the Ravens. He’s lighting up teams with his arm and legs. Through the first half of the season, he ranks 1st in QBR, 2nd in TDs, 3rd in passing yards, and 2nd in yards per attempt while only having 2 INTs. Oh, and he’s also on pace for nearly 1,000 rushing yards. Josh Allen is in second place right now, and a string of big games could close the gap. Detroit’s Jared Goff should also be mentioned as he’s having the best season of his career. The only other reasonable option might be Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes who is having a down year statistically but will almost certainly get some looks if the defending champs stay undefeated.
