Years ago, the NFL decided to go to Hollywood when the annual award was handed out and made it an evening with a red carpet ceremony and an Oscars style.
The 10th annual NFL honor was different.
Like everything this season that will be remembered for its COVID-19 challenges, the NFL still had a television awards program, but with far less fanfare than usual.
Here are the NFL’s top award winners for the season:
Justin Herbert finished sixth, behind Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa. He was not the starter of the Los Angeles Chargers to start the season, and sat behind Tyrod Taylor.
Herbert ends the season as the best rookie in the league, a player who can apparently build the Chargers.
Herbert won the attacking rookie of the year after setting an NFL rookie record with 31 touchdowns. He had 4 336 meters and looks like a future star.
Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson set a record for receiving yards by a rookie, but could not beat Herbert to win the award.
Washington managed some talented backs to take Young with the second pick of the draft, and they did not regret it.
Young won a defensive rookie of the year after immediately having an impact on a team that won the NFC East. He had 7.5 pockets and was a force off the edge for a talented defensive line in Washington.
Defensive Player of the Year: Los Angeles Rams DT Aaron Donald
Donald struggled with tough competition, especially leading Pittsburgh Steelers supporter TJ Watt, but won the Defensive Player of the Year. Again.
Donald has three defensive players of the year awards, teaming Lawrence Taylor and JJ Watt for the record. Donald had 13.5 bags, his fourth straight double-digit bag season, for a Rams team that reached the playoffs. Donald, who has six All-Pro nods and seven Pro Bowls in seven seasons, also won the Defensive Player of the Year in 2017 and 2018.
While Donald certainly deserved it, Watt was not satisfied.
Offensive Player of the Year: Tennessee Titans RB Derrick Henry
Henry won his second hurried title and did so in style. Henry rushed to the Titans final for 250 yards and reached the top 2,000 rushing years for the season. He had 2,027 yards, the fifth most in a season in NFL history.
After the 2019 season, Henry signed a $ 50 million deal with the Titans for four years, and the first year of the deal was a good deal for the Titans. Henry’s penalty-hunting style is a setback in a time when the NFL is focusing more on the passing game.
Coach of the Year: Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
Looks like the Browns finally got it right.
The Bruines fired Freddie Kitchens after a bad 2019 and hired Stefanski, who did not get the job when kitchens got it. Stefanski, a first-time head coach, led the Browns to an 11-5 record, the second post-season spotlight for the Browns since returning to the NFL in 1999 and the first playoff game since.
Stefanski is the Browns’ first coach of the year since Forrest Gregg in 1976.
Comeback Player of the Year: Washington Football Team QB Alex Smith
Smith could have won the comeback player of the year by playing in just one game. He did more than that.
Smith had one of the most remarkable comeback stories in NFL history, back from a grueling leg injury 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 as a result of Dwayne Haskins Jr. ‘s relegation and other injuries, and Washington won five of those games en route to an NFC East championship.
Smith received 49 of the 50 votes, while Roebersberger, Steelers fullback, Ben Roethlisberger got the other vote.
MVP: Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers won his third MVP award. He did so after it emerged that he had deteriorated slightly in the late 30s, and the Packers drafted his supposed successor in the first round.
Rodgers got 44 first votes, with Josh Allen, the Bills full-back, and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes getting the other two.
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