Years ago, the NFL decided to go to Hollywood when it came to distributing their annual awards, turning it into a night with a red carpet ceremony and an Oscar-style show.
The 10th annual “NFL Honors” program was different.
Like everything this season that will be remembered for its COVID-19 challenges, the NFL still had an award show on television, but with much less fanfare than usual.
Here are the top NFL season award winners:
Justin Herbert was sixth overall, behind fellow quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa. He was not the Los Angeles Chargers starter to start the season, sitting behind Tyrod Taylor.
Herbert ended the season as the best offensive rookie in the league, a player who looks like the Chargers can build.
Herbert won the offensive rookie title of the year after setting an NFL rookie record with 31 touchdowns. He was 4,336 yards and looked like a future star.
Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson set a record yardage received by a newcomer, but failed to beat Herbert to win the prize.
Washington passed on some talented quarterbacks to choose Young as the second choice of the draft, and they didn’t regret it.
Young won the defensive rookie of the year after making an immediate impact on a team that won NFC East. He had 7.5 sacks and was a force outside the edge of a talented Washington defensive line.
Defensive player of the year: Los Angeles Rams DT Aaron Donald
Donald fought a tough competition, especially the Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher TJ Watt, but beat the defensive player of the year. Again.
Donald has three defensive player awards of the year, drawing Lawrence Taylor and JJ Watt to the record. Donald had 13.5 sacks, his fourth consecutive double-digit sack season, for a Rams team that made it to the playoffs. Donald, who has six All-Pro teams and seven Pro Bowls in seven seasons, also won the defensive player of the year in 2017 and 2018.
Although Donald was certainly worthy, Watt didn’t like it.
Offensive player of the year: Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry
Henry won his second consecutive racing title, and he did it in style. Henry ran for 250 yards in the Titans final, overcoming 2,000 running yards in the season. He had 2,027 yards, the fifth longest in a season in NFL history.
After the 2019 season, Henry signed a four-year, $ 50 million contract with the Titans, and the first year of that deal was great for the Titans. Henry’s style of attack and punishment is a setback during a time when the NFL is focusing more on the passing game.
Coach of the year: Kevin Stefanski of Cleveland Browns
The Browns finally seem to have got it right.
The Browns fired Freddie Kitchens after a bad 2019 and hired Stefanski, who failed to get the job when Kitchens got it. Stefanski, a head coach for the first time, led the Browns to a 11-5 record, the Browns’ second post-season spot since they returned to the NFL in 1999 and their first playoff victory since.
Stefanski is the first coach of the year for the Browns since Forrest Gregg in 1976.
Player of the year of return: Washington Football Team QB Alex Smith
Smith could have won the player of the year back just by playing in a game. He did more than that.
Smith had one of the most remarkable comeback stories in NFL history, coming back from a terrible leg injury he suffered in 2018 that required 17 surgeries, and was the obvious choice for the comeback player of the year. Smith started six games for Washington due to the relegation of Dwayne Haskins Jr. and other injuries, and Washington won five of those games on the way to an NFC East championship.
Smith got 49 out of 50 votes, with Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger getting another vote.
MVP: Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers won his third MVP award. He did this after it looked like he was in decline in his late 30s, and the Packers chose their supposed successor in the first round.
Rodgers got 44 first-place votes, with Bills quarterback Josh Allen receiving four and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes receiving the other two.
Walter Payton Man of the Year: Seahawks QB Russell Wilson
Wilson, one of the biggest stars in the NFL, received the NFL award for charity work outside the field.
“The Walter Payton Award for Man of the Year, for me, represents excellence, not just on the field, but more importantly outside it,” Wilson told Seahawks. “In life, we have the opportunity to make an impact, no matter what sphere of influence we are in. Walter Payton was one of the greatest examples of what he was able to do not only in the field, but more importantly outside the field to repay and serve and love and care. For me, being able to be mentioned with a name like Walter Payton is one of the greatest blessings I could have and one of the greatest honors you could ever have. “
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