LAS VEGAS (AP) — Live updates from the “NFL Honors” awards show, where the Associated Press NFL MVP, Coach of the Year and more will be revealed:
AP Defensive Player of the Year: Myles Garrett
Myles Garrett beat out T.J. Watt for the AP Defensive Player of the Year award.
Cleveland’s All-Pro edge rusher received 23 first-place votes and 165 points to Watt’s 19 first-place votes and 140 points.
Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons finished third with 89 points, including seven first-place votes. Cornerback DaRon Bland, Parson’s teammate, got the other first-place vote and came in fifth behind Raiders edge Maxx Crosby.
Watt, who won the award in 2021, led the NFL with 19 sacks. But Garrett had the better all-around season for the NFL’s top-ranked defense. Despite constant double-teams, Garrett had 14 sacks, 30 quarterback hits, 17 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and forced offensive coordinators to avoid his side of the field.
AP Offensive Rookie of the Year: C.J. Stroud
C.J. Stroud won the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award in a landslide.
The Houston Texans’ quarterback received 48 of 50 first-place votes with Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua getting the other two.
Nacua set a rookie record with 105 receptions and 1,486 yards receiving yards.
Lions tight end Sam LaPorta finished third.
Stroud helped Houston go from worst to first place in the AFC South and led the Texans to a playoff win in the wild-card round.
Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick, threw for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns, five interceptions and had a passer rating of 100.8, third-best by a rookie.
Stroud led the league in passing yards per game (273.9) and had the best touchdown-interception ratio at 4.6, becoming just the third player in NFL history to finish first in both categories, joining Joe Montana (1989) and Tom Brady (2007).
Key’s monologue takes jabs at Cowboys, Panthers and of course, Taylor and Travis
Comedian and emcee Keegan-Michael Key took aim at Jerry Jones, backup quarterbacks and of course, Taylor Swift during his opening monologue.
“Who’d have thought we’d see a year where Taylor Swift went to more playoff games than Bill Belichick?” he asked.
Key mentioned that Swift is currently in Tokyo, performing in front sold-out crowds.
“The only people further from the Super Bowl are the Carolina Panthers,” Key said.
AP Assistant Coach of the Year: Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz
Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz won the AP Assistant Coach of the Year award after guiding the league’s No. 1 ranked unit.
Schwartz received 25 first-place votes and finished with 160 points, easily outpacing Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.
Macdonald got 11 first-place votes and 94 points. Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson finished third with 65 points, including six first-place votes.
Schwartz was in his first season in Cleveland. He was previously an assistant in Tennessee, Philadelphia and Buffalo after coaching the Lions from 2009-13.
How are the AP NFL awards winners chosen?
A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league completed voting for the winners before the playoffs began.
This was the second year for the AP’s weighted voting system.
Voters chose a top five for MVP and top three for all other awards. For MVP, first-place votes were worth 10 points. Second through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points. For all the other awards, first-place votes equaled 5 points, second were 3 and third were 1.
Pats’ Cardona, a Naval Academy grad, walks red carpet in his other uniform
New England Patriots long snapper Joe Cardona walked the red carpet in a Navy uniform.
He is the USAA 2023 Salute to Service award winner. Cardona is a department head of Maritime Security Squadron 8, headquartered in Newport, Rhode Island, and oversees the logistical needs of 500 sailors across the Eastern Seaboard.
C.J. Stroud ‘honored’ to be a finalist for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year
Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud is a finalist for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year after he led the Texans to the divisional round of the playoffs.
“There are a lot of great players, a lot of great rookies,” Stroud said. “I’m honored to be on there.”
Jets owner Woody Johnson discusses keeping Saleh, Douglas
New York Jets owner Woody Johnson decided to bring back coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas for next season despite clamoring from many fans and media to make changes.
The Jets went 7-10 this season. They never truly recovered from losing quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the season opener. With Rodgers expected back next season, there will be heightened scrutiny on Saleh and Douglas.
“We can’t make wrong decisions,” Johnson said.
Is Bill Belichick done? Patriots vet Jonathan Jones doesn’t think so
Speaking from the “NFL Honors” red carpet, New England cornerback Jonathan Jones says he doesn’t think former Patriots coach Bill Belichick is done. Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl champion, did not get hired for another coaching job after he parted ways with the Patriots at the end of last season.
“Teams are going to need him,” Jones said.
How to watch ‘NFL Honors’
The Associated Press MVP, Coach of the Year and more will be revealed Thursday night at the “NFL Honors” awards show at the Resorts World Theater in Las Vegas.
“NFL Honors” will air on CBS and NFL Network and be available for streaming on Paramount+ and NFL+. The red carpet opens at 7 p.m. ET, and the show itself begins at 9 p.m. ET.
Here are the nominees for the AP’s NFL awards
Eight Associated Press NFL awards will be handed out Thursday night at “NFL Honors.” Here are the finalists:
AP MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
-Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
-Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
-Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
-Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
-Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers
AP COACH OF THE YEAR
-Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions
-John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
-DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans
-Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
-Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
AP ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR
-Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator
-Mike Macdonald, Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator
-Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator
-Jim Schwartz, Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator
-Bobby Slowik, Houston Texans offensive coordinator
AP OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
-Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins
-Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
-CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys
-Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
-Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys
AP DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
-DaRon Bland, Dallas Cowboys
-Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders
-Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
-Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys
-TJ Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
AP COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
-Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns
-Damar Hamlin, Buffalo Bills
-Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
-Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
-Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins
OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
-Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
-Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions
-Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
-Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
-C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans
DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
-Will Anderson, Houston Texans
-Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles
-Joey Porter Jr., Pittsburgh Steelers
-Kobie Turner, Los Angeles Rams
-Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks
Who will take home AP NFL MVP?
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson finished the season as the betting favorite to win AP NFL MVP, per FanDuel Sportsbook. It would be Jackson’s second MVP award, and he’d join exclusive company in that regard. The 27-year-old would be the fourth two-time winner before turning 28, matching Patrick Mahomes (27), Brett Favre (27) and Jim Brown (22).
The Super Bowl-bound 49ers have two MVP finalists in quarterback Brock Purdy and running back Christian McCaffrey, while Jackson’s Ravens were eliminated by Kansas City in the AFC championship game. Voting for MVP and the other AP NFL awards closed before the playoffs began.
Who will win the Super Bowl? AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi says the 49ers
AP NFL MVP finalist Brock Purdy will lead the 49ers to another comeback victory on Sunday, ruining the Chiefs’ bid to repeat as Super Bowl champions, says AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi.
The 49ers are 2 1/2-point favorites, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. They’re quite familiar with that role having been favored to win each game this season.
In the previous 57 Super Bowls, the favorites are 36-21 straight up and 27-28-2 against the spread. Maaddi leans slightly toward the 49ers in a close one that comes down to Purdy having to lead the team to a comeback win for the third straight game.
From Hingle McCringleberry to ‘NFL Honors’ Host
Keegan-Michael Key is back as “NFL Honors” host for the third time. The former “Key & Peele” co-star is well-known to football fans for his sketch-comedy turns as audaciously named college players Hingle McCringleberry and Quatro Quatro, among others.
When Key hosted in 2022, he cracked a joke about Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes’ struggles in that year’s AFC championship game – a dig that prompted a glowering look from KC teammate Travis Kelce. Neither Mahomes or Kelce are up for any awards this season.
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