The NFL Honors ceremony held in San Francisco on Thursday night celebrated the outstanding performances of the 2025 season. Myles Garrett, the defensive end for the Cleveland Browns, won his second Defensive Player of the Year award in a unanimous selection. Garrett’s remarkable season included a record-setting 23 sacks, establishing a new single-season sack record in the league. He also topped the league with 33 tackles for loss and secured all 50 first-place votes.
Following Garrett in the voting were Will Anderson of the Houston Texans in second place and Micah Parsons of the Green Bay Packers in third. This recognition marked another significant achievement for Garrett, who previously won the award in 2023.
In the offensive category, Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks was named Offensive Player of the Year. The wide receiver’s impressive performance during his third season saw him lead the NFL with a career-high 1,793 receiving yards, ranking as the eighth-most in a single season in NFL history. He also set franchise records for the Seahawks, achieving 119 receptions and joining Shaun Alexander as the only players from Seattle to earn this honor. Smith-Njigba received 14 first-place votes, surpassing Christian McCaffrey with 12 and Puka Nacua with 8.
Rookie Awards Highlight Emerging Talents
The Offensive Rookie of the Year award went to Tetairoa McMillan, a wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers. Selected as the eighth pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, McMillan led all rookies with 1,014 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches. His 70 receptions also ranked third among first-year players. McMillan broke the franchise’s rookie record set by Kelvin Benjamin and became the second rookie in Panthers history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards.
McMillan garnered 41 first-place votes, with Tyler Shough, the quarterback for the New Orleans Saints, finishing second with five votes. TreVeyon Henderson, running back for the New England Patriots, took third place with one vote.
Defensive honors saw Carson Schwesinger, a linebacker for the Browns, awarded Defensive Rookie of the Year. Once a walk-on at UCLA, Schwesinger, the 33rd pick in the draft, led all rookies with 157 tackles and 11 tackles for loss, in addition to contributing 2.5 sacks and two interceptions. He received 40 first-place votes, while Nick Emmanwori of the Seahawks and James Peace Jr. of the Falcons finished second and third, respectively.
Coaching and Comeback Awards Recognize Excellence
The Comeback Player of the Year award was presented to Christian McCaffrey, who rebounded from an injury-laden 2024 season that limited him to just four games. In 2025, he achieved 2,126 yards from scrimmage, ranking second only to Bijan Robinson with 2,298. His 17 scrimmage touchdowns were also among the top in the league. McCaffrey received 31 first-place votes, with Aidan Hutchinson and Dak Prescott following in second and third.
The Coach of the Year honor went to Mike Vrabel, who led the Patriots from a 4-13 record to a remarkable 14-3 in his first season as head coach. This turnaround tied him for the most wins by a head coach in their inaugural season with a team in NFL history. Vrabel’s achievement also secured the Patriots’ first AFC East title since 2019 and a Super Bowl berth. He collected 19 first-place votes, while Liam Cohen of the Jaguars and Mike Macdonald of the Seahawks finished second and third, respectively.
Additionally, the NFL introduced the inaugural Protector of the Year award, recognizing the top offensive lineman, which went to Joe Thuney of the Chicago Bears. Thuney excelled in pass blocking, leading all qualifying guards with a 97.6% pass block win rate.
This year’s ceremony also highlighted other notable achievements, including Bobby Wagner of the Washington Commanders winning the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award for his contributions to the community. Josh McDaniels, the offensive coordinator for the Patriots, was named Assistant Coach of the Year.
The NFL Honors ceremony showcased the league’s commitment to recognizing exceptional talent and contributions both on and off the field, setting a high standard for future seasons.
