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In just two weeks, the NFL will hand out all its awards for the 2025 season at the league's annual "NFL Honors" show, which will take place on Feb. 5 in San Francisco. During the event, hosted by Jon Hamm, we'll find out who won each award, from MVP to Coach of the Year to both Rookie of the Year awards and more. 

The Associated Press handles the voting for each award and the AP released the finalists in each category on Thursday. One thing to keep in mind with these awards is that they're voted on at the end of the regular season, so how a player performs in the postseason has no impact on who wins each award. 

With that in mind, let's check out the finalists. 

Most Valuable Player

There are five names listed here, but this feels like a two-horse race between Stafford and Maye. Remember, voting for this award was done before the playoffs started, so if Stafford or Maye took their team to the Super Bowl, it wouldn't affect the award in any way. 

Coach of the Year

  • Bears coach Ben Johnson 
  • Jaguars coach Liam Coen 
  • Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald 
  • 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan 
  • Patriots coach Mike Vrabel

This feels like one of the most wide-open years ever in this category, but the big favorites here have to be Vrabel, Johnson and Macdonald, who all won their division (Coen also won his division with the Jaguars, but the fact that his title came in an AFC South division that's perceived to be easier could hurt him in the voting). In New England, Vrabel took a team that lost 13 games the previous year and led it to a 14-3 record and an AFC East title. In Seattle, Macdonald took a Seahawks team that didn't make the playoffs in 2024 and led them to the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC. As for Johnson, he took a Bears team that finished 5-12 last season and led them to an NFC North title. Vrabel feels like the slight favorite, but it wouldn't be surprising if one of the other two guys won. 

Offensive Player of the Year

Bijan Robinson had an impressive year for the Falcons, but this feels like an award that will either go to Smith-Njigba or Nacua. Not only did Smith-Njigba lead the NFL in receiver yards with 1,793, but he also set the Seahawks' franchise record for most receiving yards in a season. It would be a minor surprise if JSN didn't take home the award. 

Defensive Player of the Year

Garrett set the NFL record for most sacks in a single season this year with 23, so it would be an absolute stunner if he doesn't end up winning. If Garrett wins, it would mark the second time in three seasons he's won the award. 

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Over the past six years, this award has either gone to a quarterback (four times) or a receiver (two times) and that certainly feels like it will once again be the case this year. Shough finished 5-4 this year and actually won more games than Dart, who went 4-8 as a starter, so if the award goes to a QB, Shough certainly has a strong argument. However, neither guy played the entire season, and if the voters want to give this award to the player with the best overall season, that would probably be McMillan, who led all rookie receivers with 1,014 yards and seven TD catches. 

Defensive Rookie of the Year

If you need an idea of how bad the Browns' offense was this year, just consider this: Cleveland's defense might end up taking home the top two defensive awards. Not only is Garrett the heavy favorite for defensive player of the year, but Schwesinger is definitely the favorite in this category after a 2025 season in which he led all rookies in tackles (146) and tackles for loss (11). Schwesinger also had 2.5 sacks and two interceptions during a strong first year on the field. 

Comeback Player of the Year

This feels like it's Christian McCaffrey's award to lose. After missing 13 games last year due to an Achilles injury, McCaffrey bounced back with a 2025 season that saw him rush for 1,202 yards while also adding 924 receiving yards. McCaffrey also tallied 17 total touchdowns. 

Assistant Coach of the Year

  • Eagles DC Vic Fangio
  • Vikings DC Brian Flores
  • Broncos DC Vance Joseph
  • Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak
  • Patriots OC Josh McDaniels

The Patriots and Seahawks scored the second-most and third-most points in the NFL this year, so it won't be surprising if his award goes to McDaniels or Kubiak. McDaniels turned Drake Maye into an MVP candidate while Kubiak kept the Seahawks from having a top 10 quarterback.