What an NFL season this has been.
High-flying offenses. Surprise contenders and new breakout stars. An absolute mystery as to who will hoist the Lombardi Trophy in February.
While there are still a few weeks of action remaining before the NFL playoffs begin, it feels like some of the major award races around the league have already been decided.
Here’s a look at my NFL awards predictions for the 2024-25 season.
Most Valuable Player: Josh Allen (QB, Buffalo Bills)
Honorable mention: Lamar Jackson, Saquon Barkley
Allen has been an electric talent for years, but now he’ll have some legitimate hardware to show for it.
The Bills superstar has already posted 36 total touchdowns — 25 passing, 11 rushing — compared to just five turnovers. He’s playing some of the most efficient football you’ll ever see, leading the league Expected Points Added by a wide margin with 147.1.
While reigning MVP Lamar Jackson makes his own strong case for the award, his eye-popping numbers have come with a much stronger supporting cast and with an inferior team record.
Allen has carried a rather limited Buffalo roster to a 11-3 mark thus far, capturing victories over the juggernaut Detroit Lions and otherwise-unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs.
Remember, the award is for the most valuable player, and it’s clear that no one has proven more valuable to their squad than Allen.
Offensive Player of the Year: Saquon Barkley (RB, Philadelphia Eagles)
Honorable mention: Derrick Henry, Jamar Chase
Why on earth did the New York Giants let this guy go? Barkley has been a monster in his first season with Philadelphia, leading the league with 1,688 rushing yards at an average gain of 5.9 yards per carry along with 13 total touchdowns.
In addition to turning the Eagles back into an offensive powerhouse, Barkley is doing things never before seen on a football field, such as this ridiculous reverse hurdle move. Absolutely absurd.
What truly separates Barkley, however, is his performance in the clutch. He’s averaged 6.3 yards per carry in the fourth quarter when either leading or trailing by a one-score margin. He only gets better as the game goes on. You can’t slow him down. It’s almost unfair.
Defensive Player of the Year: TJ Watt (LB, Pittsburgh Steelers)
Honorable mention: Danielle Hunter, Patrick Surtain
While he hasn’t been quite as dominant in 2024 as he was in his 2021 Defensive Player of the Year campaign, Watt is still a game-wrecking force at the heart of Pittsburgh’s elite defensive unit.
Watt leads the league with 18 tackles for loss and six forced fumbles. He’s tallied 11.5 sacks already — a bit low compared to the 15, 19 and 22.5 he’s put up in the past, but still good enough to rank third in the NFL.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Jayden Daniels (QB, Washington Commanders)
Honorable mention: Brock Bowers, Bo Nix
I must admit my personal bias here as a lifelong Washington fan, but it’s really difficult to argue that any rookie has been more impressive than Daniels in 2024.
The instant magic he’s performed in D.C. is remarkable. He’s led a very mediocre Commanders roster to a 9-5 record for the franchise’s first winning season since 2016.
Rookies aren’t supposed to complete 70.5% of their passes with a 101.2 passer rating and just six total turnovers. Yet here is Daniels, already providing 23 touchdowns and becoming just the fourth first-year QB to ever account for both 3,000 passing and 500 rushing yards in a debut season, putting Washington right in the thick of the NFC playoff picture.
Oh, he’s a miracle worker, too, just in case you forgot. Play of the year!
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jared Verse (LB, Los Angeles Rams)
Honorable mention: Quinyon Mitchell, Tarheeb Still
It’s tempting to choose Mitchell over Verse here, but the Eagles would still have an excellent defense without Mitchell’s contributions in the secondary. I don’t believe the same can be said for Verse and the Rams.
Verse has posted 58 tackles, 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in Los Angeles, ranking No. 13 among edge defenders with a 85.1 overall PFF grade. The Rams’ defense has begun to get hot at the right time for a late playoff push, and Verse is a major reason why.
Comeback Player of the Year: Joe Burrow (QB, Cincinnati Bengals)
Honorable mention: Sam Darnold, J.K. Dobbins
After playing in just 10 games last season due to a wrist injury, Burrow has exploded for a league-best 3,977 passing yards and 36 touchdowns in 2024.
If not for his Bengals’ 6-8 record and pitiful defense, “Joe Cool” would likely be in the MVP discussion, as well.
While his first MVP award — and Super Bowl ring — will have to wait, Burrow will at least join Chad Pennington as the only two-time winners of the Comeback Player of the Year award in history.
It’s not much of a consolation prize, but hey, it’s something.
Coach of the Year: Kevin O’Connell (Minnesota Vikings)
Honorable mention: Dan Campbell, Dan Quinn
There are coaching masterclasses, and then there’s what O’Connell has done with the Vikings this year.
Minnesota was near-universally expected to finish at the bottom of the loaded NFC North division, only to shock everyone with a 12-2 start. Sam Darnold — a previously underwhelming first round pick now on his fourth team in five seasons — suddenly looks like an elite quarterback largely thanks to O’Connell’s tutelage.
While the Lions and Eagles are the flashier picks around the NFC, the Vikings may very well be the most complete team in the conference come postseason play. If O’Connell can bring Minnesota its first-ever Super Bowl title, he’ll become the most celebrated individual the North Star State has ever seen.