Bleacher Report's Expert Consensus NFL Honors Awards

On Thursday, the NFL's best and brightest will gather at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California, for the 11th Annual NFL Honors. Host Keegan-Michael Key will tell a few jokes, NFL stars will wear their Sunday's finest and a number of awards will be handed out, including the Associated Press MVP Award and the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.

Well, here at Bleacher Report, we like award ceremonies as much as anyone else. Unfortunately, we're just a tad short on theaters to hold a ceremony. And celebrity hosts. And tuxedos. And trophies.

But hey. Why sweat the details?

What we do have is a group of voters that includes Bleacher Report national NFL writers Gary Davenport, Brad Gagnon and Brent Sobleski, B/R Gridiron editors Ian Kenyon and Wes O'Donnell, and B/R Betting host Connor Rogers. And a community of Bleacher Report app users that were asked to chime on several categories.

And so, without further adieu, we present the Bleacher Report Expert Consensus NFL Honors Awards.

The first envelope, please.

Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans (2 votes)

There isn't a more difficult award to predict from the beginning of the season to the end than Coach of the Year. Among the five coaches who received a vote here, one (Cincinnati's Zac Taylor) presumably entered the season closer to getting fired than making the Super Bowl.

Guess where he's coaching Sunday?

All of the coaches who received a vote here did their jobs at the highest of levels in 2021. Sean McVay of the Rams will be facing off against Taylor in Super Bowl LVI. Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin got a limited Steelers team into the postseason and still has never had a losing season. Green Bay's Matt LaFleur guided the Packers to a third consecutive 13-win season.

But it can be argued that none of those coaches dealt with the adversity that Tennessee's Mike Vrabel did. Vrabel was without star running back Derrick Henry for half the season and A.J. Brown and Julio Jones for stretches, yet the Titans kept right on winning games, eventually capturing the AFC's No. 1 seed.

Granted, Tennessee's postseason run was short-lived. But Rogers was one of two panelists who viewed Vrabel as the most deserving Coach of the Year honoree this season.

"I often dive into who did the most with the least. There is no doubt the Titans postseason exit after claiming the number one seed in the AFC was a letdown, but the overall sample size is enough for Vrabel to take this home. This was a team that dealt with significant injuries to their big three on offense in Derrick Henry, Julio Jones and A.J. Brown. He has a roster that is fully bought in, a defense that seems to punch above their weight class in terms of talent and a blossoming superstar in Jeffery Simmons. They will only go as far as Ryan Tannehill will take them in a conference loaded with offensive firepower, but Vrabel has gotten the most out of this group once again."

Others Receiving Votes: Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers (1 vote); Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams (1 vote); Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals (1 vote); Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers (1 vote)

Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams (5 votes)

Whether it works out that way at the NFL Honors or not, it's refreshing to see that this award will not be going to a quarterback. While there are certainly plenty of passers who had fantastic seasons, given how much the position dominates MVP voting, it's nice to see other positions get some love—especially when you consider the phenomenal years had by the players included here.

Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, who received just under a quarter of the fan vote on the B/R app, paced the league with 1,811 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground and peeled off eight consecutive games with 100 scrimmage yards and a rushing score. 

Deebo Samuel of the San Francisco 49ers caught 77 passes for 1,405 yards and added another 365 rushing yards and eight scores on the ground.

"Cooper Kupp is going to be the favorite for this one, but give me Deebo Samuel," Rogers wrote. "Truly, where would the 49ers offense (maybe season) be without him? You have to account for him in every aspect of Kyle Shanahan's scheme. He's a true number one wide receiver, running back and gadget player with the frame to carry that workload. This award often goes to a player that makes the rest of the league think: How do we get a weapon like that?

"The problem is, Deebo is one of one. With over 1,400 yards through the air (an outrageous 18.2 yards per reception), another 365 on the ground and 14 total touchdowns, this was a special year for No. 19. He's the top non-quarterback I'd dread having to gameplan for if I was a defensive coordinator."

But as Rogers mentioned, Los Angeles Rams wipeout Cooper Kupp was the runaway winner after becoming just the fourth wideout since the AFL-NFL merger to lead the league in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947) and touchdown catches (16).

"Kupp didn't just have the best season of any receiver in the league in 2021," Davenport said. "He had one of the best seasons by any wide receiver in the history of the NFL. He caught at least nine passes in 11 of 17 games this year and topped 100 yards a jaw-dropping 11 times as well. Every defense the Rams faced knew that Matt Stafford was going to target Kupp early and often, and there was absolutely nothing they could do about it."

Others Receiving Votes: Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers (1 vote)

T.J. Watt, Edge, Pittsburgh Steelers (6 votes)

There was no shortage of players who had fantastic seasons on the defensive side of the ball. Chicago Bears edge-rusher Robert Quinn piled up 18.5 sacks to lead the NFC. Atlanta Falcons linebacker Foyesade Oluokun came up just eight stops short of 200. Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs logged the most interceptions (11) the league has seen in over 40 years.

But as both the poll on the Bleacher Report app and the vote among our experts demonstrates, where the 2021 season was concerned, it was T.J. Watt's world—everyone else was just living in it.

In 2020, Watt piled up 23 tackles for loss and 15 sacks on the way to finishing as the runner-up to Aaron Donald of the Rams for Defensive Player of the Year honors. This year, the fifth-year veteran made sure there would be no silver medal by tying Michael Strahan's single-season sack record with 22.5 while chipping in 21 tackles for loss and five forced fumbles.

That all came in just 15 games.

"Watt secured his status as the Defensive Player of the Year during the final two weeks of the regular season," Sobleski wrote. "Up until that point, he and Myles Garrett found themselves in a two-horse race to claim the award. Unfortunately, Garrett struggled over the final month of the season due to a groin injury, whereas Watt managed five sacks during the final two games with the playoffs hanging in the balance. In doing so, the Steeler tied the NFL single-season with 22.5 sacks. Game-defining play in his team's biggest contests certainly signals the game's best defensive player."

Not many would argue that assertion.

Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals (6 votes)

There were several offensive rookies who shined in their first professional season in 2021. Quarterback Mac Jones led the New England Patriots to the playoffs. Running back Najee Harris racked up 1,667 total yards for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jaylen Waddle of the Miami Dolphins set a new rookie record for receptions with 104.

But as Sobleski pointed out, when it came to voting for Offensive Rookie of the Year, there was really one player to vote for: Ja'Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals.

"Chase proved to be everything the Bengals could have hoped for and more after Cincinnati selected him with last year's fifth overall draft pick," he said. "His presence in the lineup allowed the Bengals' offense to thrive despite obvious deficiencies along the offensive front. Those concerns became secondary as Chase broke the rookie record with 1,455 receiving yards, which included a pair of 200-yard efforts and 391 receiving yards during the two games that helped Cincinnati clinch an AFC North title. The rapport Chase has with quarterback Joe Burrow is special and should thrive for years to come."

Simply put, Chase played nothing like a rookie wide receiver. Maybe part of that was the built-in rapport with his old college teammate. But in his NFL debut, Chase topped 100 yards and found the end zone. He had more receiving yards (754) over his first seven games than any player in NFL history.

In Week 17 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Chase recorded the most receiving yards (266) by a player in a single game in franchise history and the most receiving yards in a game by a rookie.

When a new star bursts onto the scene, it's easy to start throwing superlatives around. We just did with Justin Jefferson in 2020.

But it's not hyperbole to say that Chase just had arguably the best first season of any pass-catcher the league has ever seen.

And he's only just getting started,

Micah Parsons, LB, Dallas Cowboys (6 votes)

As Todd Archer reported for ESPN, Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons insisted that he has only scratched the surface of what he can do as a football player.

"Bro, I can get better everywhere," said Parsons. "I can become a better pass-rusher. I can become a better linebacker. Like, anything. I just feel like I'm just out there raw, and I was just learning, and I grew, and I kept getting better and better throughout the year. No one's ever perfect. There's always room to grow in many ways to get better."

That is a truly terrifying proposition for the rest of the league.

The Cowboys originally drafted the Penn State standout 12th overall to play off-ball linebacker. But after injuries decimated the team's edge-rushers, Parsons kicked outside.

No problem—Parsons was a difference-maker from Day 1 at both spots. By season's end, he had tallied 84 total tackles, a staggering 20 tackles for loss, 13 sacks and three forced fumbles.

For Kenyon, those numbers made Parsons an easy call for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

"Midway through the year, there was discussion about Trevon Diggs winning Defensive Player of the Year, but his teammate, Micah Parsons, was the more impactful player this year, and if not for T.J. Watt, Parsons would have been in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year for me. Parsons racked up 84 tackles, 13 sacks, three forced fumbles while leading NFL rookies in pressures. His unparalleled strength and speed combination makes him a terror off the edge. He was unblockable during the final two months of the season and should be a DPOY contender for the foreseeable future."

Not one of our panelists was about to argue with him.

TIE – Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals (3 votes); Nick Bosa, EDGE, San Francisco 49ers (3 votes)

Both Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott saw their 2020 seasons cut short by injury—Prescott broke his ankle against the Giants in October, while Burrow tore his ACL the following month in Washington.

Both young quarterbacks rebounded in a big way this season, leading their respective teams to division titles. But for the users of the B/R app, this was a no-brainer, with Burrow earning nine times as many votes as Prescott.

There were a number of our panelists on board with Burrow for Comeback Player of the Year after he broke the single-season franchise records in passing yards (4,611) and touchdown passes (34). Moton was among them.

"Before Joe Burrow played an instrumental role in the Bengals' run to Super Bowl 56, he deserved the 2021 Comeback Player of the Year honor, throwing for 34 touchdowns and 14 interceptions with a league-leading 70.4 percent completion rate during the regular season. Coming off a torn ACL and MCL, the second-year signal-caller posted those numbers behind an offensive line that allowed pressure on 24.2 percent of quarterback dropbacks (12th-most leaguewide) and logged the highest passer rating while under pressure (89.6), per Pro Football Focus. Burrow overcame a significant injury and a subpar front line for a standout campaign."

However, like Burrow, San Francisco 49ers edge-rusher Nick Bosa saw his 2020 campaign wrecked by an ACL tear. Like Burrow, Bosa bounced back in a big way. And like Burrow, three of our writers believed that Bosa deserves Comeback Player of the Year honors.

"Super Bowl-starting QB Joe Burrow of the Bengals makes total sense here, but the undeniable impact of Nick Bosa's return to the 49ers deserves its due recognition," O' Donnell said. "A year after playing only two games and tearing his ACL, he put together a complete season and finished fourth in the league in sacks, tied for first in tackles for loss, third in the league for QB hits and a top-10 finish for forced fumbles.

"His presence helped the Niners put together an unexpected playoff run as a focal point of a defense that allowed the third-least amount of yards per game. Every opposing offensive coordinator had to account for Bosa on every snap. His comeback season is just the start of greater things to come."

We'd break the tie with a coin flip, but further traumatizing any Buffalo Bills fans reading this just seems mean.

Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams (4 votes)

We asked our resident fantasy football guru (and two-time Fantasy Sports Writers Association Football Writer of the Year), Gary Davenport, to offer his criteria for what makes the Fantasy Player of the Year.

"Fantasy football's MVP isn't just the guy who scores the most points," he said. "In fantasy, value has more to do with finding players as late as possible who can score as many points as possible. Getting a big year from a first-round running back is fine. Getting a huge year from a fourth-round wide receiver is the kind of value (there's that word again) that wins fantasy championships."

And that brings us to Los Angeles Rams wideout Cooper Kupp.

Yes, Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts (who earned two votes) had a phenomenal season—over 1,800 rushing yards, over 2,100 scrimmage yards and the most points-per-reception points at fantasy's most important position by a solid margin. But on average, Taylor was also a late first-round pick.

Kupp, on the other hand, didn't come off the board until the 44th overall pick in PPR leagues, according to Average Draft Position data at Fantasy Pros. He wasn't even the first wide receiver drafted on his own team—Robert Woods came off the board a handful of picks earlier.

As O'Donnell pointed out, those fantasy managers who chose Woods over Kupp made a slight mistake.

"Leading the NFL in every major receiving category, Kupp's numbers speak for themselves in his epic 2021 season. He never saw a week in single-digit scoring, topped 30 points six times while topping 20 points in all but three games, and, in the all-important fantasy postseason, averaged 25.8 points a week. If that's not the Fantasy Player of the Year, I don't know what one is."

Kupp was the only fantasy wideout to tally 350 PPR points in 2021. And the only receiver to record 375 PPR points. And the only wide receiver to hit 400 PPR points. And the only pass-catcher to surpass 425 PPR points.

Other than that, he was just OK.

Others Receiving Votes: Jonathan Taylor, RB, Indianapolis Colts (2 votes)

Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers (4 votes)

There were a pair of players who received votes for Breakout Player of the Year. Both were deserving of recognition.

We've already discussed many of Joe Burrow's accomplishments, not the least of which is transforming the Cincinnati Bengals from tomato can to AFC champs. While speaking to SiriusXM Radio at Radio Row (per CBS Sports), Los Angeles Rams edge-rusher Von Miller paid Burrow just about the highest compliment a quarterback can be paid.

"It's the Joe Burrow show," Miller said. Don't forget it now. This guy is the real deal. I don't like making comparisons to anybody else. Joe Burrow is his own guy, but you definitely see shades of Tom Brady in this guy."

Still, for all Burrow has done in 2021, he wasn't the winner.

Deebo Samuel had shown flashes of immense potential over the first two seasons of his career, including 57 receptions for 802 yards and three scores in his rookie year.

But in 2021, it all came together and then some. In addition to posting 77 catches for 1,405 yards (a robust 18.2 yards per catch) and six touchdowns, Samuel emerged as a force on the ground, carrying the ball 59 times for 365 yards and another eight scores. That dual-threat ability made the 26-year-old one of the most difficult players in the league for opposing defenses to gameplan for.

"It's always great to see a young player put it all together and make the jump to stardom, and Samuel absolutely did that in 2021," Davenport said. "Kyle Shanahan looked to exploit Samuel's elite athleticism by lining him up all over the formation, and Samuel took full advantage of the opportunity, developing into one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the league. That breakout puts Samuel on track for a massive payday—now if we can just get him to give Red back his bike and the chain his grandma gave him."

Others Receiving Votes: Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals (2 votes)

Trevon Diggs, CB, Dallas Cowboys (3 votes)

The votes for Most Improved Player were spread out among four players. Two of those players (Burrow and Samuel) have already received plenty of run during this "ceremony."

Another vote went to Las Vegas Raiders edge-rusher Maxx Crosby. The third-year veteran set a career-best with 56 total tackles, and while his eight sacks for the year weren't a career-best, no pass-rusher in the NFL had more knockdowns this season than Crosby's 19.

However, the leading vote-getter was a player who posted the kind of season in 2021 that won't soon be forgotten—Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs.

"Diggs went from being a promising young cornerback prospect to a bonafide star in 2021," Kenyon said. "His 11 interceptions were the most in an NFL season since Everson Walls snatched 11 in 1981. He returned two of those for touchdowns and was also second in the NFL in passes defensed (21). The combination of Parsons and Diggs in Dallas will keep them among the league's most feared defenses heading into 2022."

Diggs admittedly had some flaws, too—no player in the league surrendered more yardage in coverage this season. But in Moton's opinion, that doesn't take away from what the second-year pro accomplished.

"While critics had an issue with Trevon Diggs' All-Pro honor because of the number of yards he allowed in coverage (907), the Cowboys cornerback still only gave up a 52.4 percent completion rate, recorded 21 pass breakups and led the league in interceptions (11) with two of those takeaways returned for touchdowns. As a former wideout turned cornerback five years ago, his receiving skills have served him well on the pro level. He's not a shutdown cover man, but within a year, he went from a high-upside starter to an opportunistic ball hawk who made several game-changing plays."

Others Receiving Votes: Joe Burrow, QB, Cincinnati Bengals (1 vote); Maxx Crosby, Edge, Las Vegas Raiders (1 vote); Deebo Samuel, WR, San Francisco 49ers (1 vote)

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers (3 votes)

We have a controversy! Chaos has erupted! Panic fills the streets! The end is nigh!

We may have gotten a tad carried away for a second, but we do have a bit of a brouhaha with the 2021 B/R NFL MVP Award and the new yacht that comes with it.

OK, there is no yacht.

The B/R Community voted (by an admittedly narrow margin) to name (former) Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady the league's most valuable player for 2021. Two of our experts are in agreement, including Davenport.

"Make no mistake, this isn't a career achievement award—Brady was my MVP before he surprisingly announced that the 2021 season was his last. We've seen plenty of quarterbacks who were in obvious decline in their final season. Ben Roethlisberger was a shell of his former self last year, and the Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50 in spite of Peyton Manning, not because of him. But in his 22nd season, Brady threw for more yardage (5,316) than in any other season and the second-most touchdown passes (43) of his career. Brady led the entire league in both categories and led the Buccaneers to the most regular-season wins in franchise history. That's what made his retirement so stunning—Brady played the position as well in 2021 as any quarterback in the league."

However, Brady was edged out by Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers in our panel. The defending MVP had another ridiculously efficient season, throwing 37 touchdown passes against just four picks while guiding the Pack to the NFC's No. 1 seed.

"It's quite difficult to actually describe just how good Rodgers has been during back-to-back MVP campaigns," Sobleski said. "Maybe the following stat is the most telling. Since the start of the 2020 campaign, Rodgers threw nine total interceptions. For comparison, 26 quarterbacks matched or exceeded that number this season. Thirteen contemporaries threw 13 or more interceptions this past fall, while Rodgers did so over three combined years. Simply put, Rodgers is the most efficient quarterback of all time, and he's been at his absolute best during the last two regular seasons."

If Rodgers does win the AP MVP award, it will mark the first time since Manning in 2008 and 2009 that a player won in successive seasons.

And Rodgers' future (in Green Bay or elsewhere) will be one of the dominant offseason storylines of 2022.

Others Receiving Votes: Tom Brady, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2 votes); Cooper Kupp, WR, Los Angeles Rams (1 vote)