The Associated Press announced the five finalists for each main NFL award Thursday, with Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and New England Patriots passer Drake Maye headlining the MVP race.
Buffalo Bills star and reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, and Jacksonville Jaguars signal-caller Trevor Lawrence are the other three nominees for MVP.
Name
Position
Team
Matthew Stafford
QB
Rams
Drake Maye
QB
Patriots
Josh Allen
QB
Bills
Trevor Lawrence
QB
Jaguars
Christian McCaffrey
RB
49ers
Stafford is the favorite to take home the NFL MVP award for the first time in his 17-year career. The 37-year-old led the league with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns. Maye – who topped the NFL in pass completion percentage – accounted for 35 TDs to help the Patriots go 14-3 in his first season as their full-time starter.
Finalists for other categories were also unveiled. The winners will be announced Feb. 5 during the NFL Honors broadcast. Here are the contenders for the remaining awards:
Offensive Player of the Year
Name
Position
Team
Drake Maye
QB
Patriots
Christian McCaffrey
RB
49ers
Puka Nacua
WR
Rams
Bijan Robinson
RB
Falcons
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
WR
Seahawks
Often awarded to the most outstanding non-quarterback, the OPOY appears to be a two-man race between Smith-Njigba and Nacua.
Defensive Player of the Year
Name
Position
Team
Myles Garrett
EDGE
Browns
Will Anderson Jr.
EDGE
Texans
Micah Parsons
EDGE
Packers
Aidan Hutchinson
EDGE
Lions
Nik Bonitto
EDGE
Broncos
Anderson, Parsons, Hutchinson, and Bonitto were all great in 2025, but Garrett should run away with this award after setting a single-season record with 23 sacks.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Name
Position
Team
Jaxson Dart
QB
Giants
Emeka Egbuka
WR
Buccaneers
TreVeyon Henderson
RB
Patriots
Tetairoa McMillan
WR
Panthers
Tyler Shough
QB
Saints
Quarterbacks have an advantage when it comes to individual awards, but Dart and Shough didn’t play a full season. McMillan, who topped 1,000 yards, could become the first receiver to win the OROY since Garrett Wilson (2022).
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Name
Position
Team
Abdul Carter
EDGE
Giants
Nick Emmanwori
S
Seahawks
James Pearce Jr.
EDGE
Falcons
Carson Schwesinger
LB
Browns
Xavier Watts
S
Falcons
Three DROY finalists weren’t first-round picks, including Schwesinger, the 33rd overall selection who’s the favorite here after posting 156 tackles and two interceptions.
Coach of the Year
Name
Team
Liam Coen
Jaguars
Ben Johnson
Bears
Mike Macdonald
Seahawks
Kyle Shanahan
49ers
Mike Vrabel
Patriots
Each nominee guided their teams to impressive turnarounds. The biggest one took place in New England, where the Patriots improved from 4-13 in 2024 to 14-3 in ’25 in Vrabel’s first year as head coach.
Assistant Coach of the Year
Name
Role
Team
Vic Fangio
DC
Eagles
Brian Flores
DC
Vikings
Vance Joseph
DC
Broncos
Klint Kubiak
OC
Seahawks
Josh McDaniels
OC
Patriots
This group includes three defensive coordinators, but no one should be surprised if the award goes to the other side of the ball. Seattle’s offense improved significantly in its first year under Kubiak’s watch.
Comeback Player of the Year
Name
Position
Team
Aidan Hutchinson
EDGE
Lions
Stefon Diggs
WR
Patriots
Trevor Lawrence
QB
Jaguars
Christian McCaffrey
RB
49ers
Dak Prescott
QB
Cowboys
McCaffrey is a finalist for two other awards, but his best chances are for the Comeback Player of the Year. After missing 13 games due to injury in 2024, he finished the 2025 season with 2,126 yards and 17 touchdowns from scrimmage.