by The stage is set for a star-studded night in San Francisco as the league officially announced the shortlist for its most prestigious individual accolades. On Thursday, February 5, 2026, the Palace of Fine Arts will host the annual awards ceremony, where the NFL Honors 2025 finalists will find out who takes home the hardware. This year’s race is particularly historic, featuring a blend of legendary veterans looking to cement their legacies and a “New Era” of young stars who have taken the league by storm over the last eighteen weeks.
The MVP Race: A Historic Five-Way Battle
At the top of the marquee, the battle for the AP Most Valuable Player award has narrowed down to a fascinating mix of elite signal-callers and a record-breaking playmaker. Among the NFL Honors 2025 finalists for MVP are Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence, Drake Maye, Matthew Stafford, and Christian McCaffrey. McCaffrey made history by becoming the first player ever to be named a finalist for three different AP awards in a single season (MVP, OPOY, and Comeback Player). While Stafford led the league with 46 passing touchdowns, rookie Drake Maye’s league-leading 113.5 passer rating has made this one of the most debated MVP races in recent memory.
Offensive Player of the Year: Playmakers in the Spotlight
While the MVP often leans toward quarterbacks, the Offensive Player of the Year category celebrates the most dominant forces on the scoreboard regardless of position. The NFL Honors 2025 finalists for this award include Christian McCaffrey, Drake Maye, Puka Nacua, Bijan Robinson, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Robinson led the NFL with a staggering 2,298 yards from scrimmage, while Smith-Njigba emerged as a true WR1 in Seattle, leading the league with 1,793 receiving yards. The inclusion of Nacua and Smith-Njigba—both unanimous All-Pro selections—highlights just how elite the young receiving talent has become.
Defensive Player of the Year: The Sack Masters
On the other side of the ball, the race for the league’s top defender is a showdown between the game’s most feared pass rushers. This year’s NFL Honors 2025 finalists for Defensive Player of the Year are Myles Garrett, Aidan Hutchinson, Micah Parsons, Will Anderson Jr., and Nik Bonitto. Myles Garrett enters as a heavy favorite after a truly historic campaign where he set a new NFL single-season record with 23 sacks. However, Aidan Hutchinson’s emotional return from a broken leg to record 14.5 sacks makes him a strong contender for both this award and Comeback Player of the Year.
2025 AP Award Finalists At a Glance
| Award | Key Finalists |
| AP Most Valuable Player | Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford, Drake Maye |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Myles Garrett, Aidan Hutchinson, Micah Parsons |
| Offensive Rookie of the Year | Jaxson Dart, Tyler Shough, Emeka Egbuka |
| Defensive Rookie of the Year | Abdul Carter, Carson Schwesinger, James Pearce Jr. |
| Coach of the Year | Mike Vrabel, Liam Coen, Mike Macdonald |
Rookie of the Year: The Next Generation Arrives
The 2025 draft class has proven to be one of the most impactful in years, as evidenced by the high-caliber talent in the rookie categories. The NFL Honors 2025 finalists for Offensive Rookie of the Year feature two quarterbacks, Jaxson Dart and Tyler Shough, alongside explosive playmakers like TreVeyon Henderson. On the defensive side, the New York Giants’ Abdul Carter and the Browns’ Carson Schwesinger lead a group that has redefined their respective units. Schwesinger, in particular, shocked the league by leading all rookies with 146 tackles while serving as the defensive signal-caller for Cleveland.
Coach of the Year: Architects of Greatness
The sideline leaders being recognized this year are those who masterminded some of the most dramatic turnarounds in NFL history. The NFL Honors 2025 finalists for Coach of the Year include Mike Vrabel (Patriots), Liam Coen (Jaguars), Mike Macdonald (Seahawks), Ben Johnson (Bears), and Kyle Shanahan (49ers). Coen is a notable standout, leading a Jaguars team that won only four games last year to a 13-4 record and a division title. Similarly, Mike Vrabel’s “culture shift” in New England has the Patriots back in the AFC Championship hunt in just his first season at the helm.
Comeback Player of the Year: Resilience on Display
Perhaps the most emotional category of the night, the Comeback Player of the Year award honors those who overcame significant adversity to return to elite form. The NFL Honors 2025 finalists for this accolade are headlined by Aidan Hutchinson, whose recovery from a gruesome leg injury in 2024 inspired the entire league. He is joined by Trevor Lawrence, who bounced back from shoulder surgery to lead the league’s most improved offense, and veteran Stefon Diggs, who revitalized his career in New England. This award serves as a powerful reminder of the grit required to compete at the highest level.
The 15th annual NFL Honors will be hosted by Emmy-winning actor Jon Hamm and will also feature the announcement of the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year and the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026. As we look at the NFL Honors 2025 finalists, it is clear that the 2025 season was one for the record books, filled with statistical anomalies and incredible human-interest stories. Whether you are rooting for a veteran’s first MVP or a rookie’s first trophy, the night promises to be a fitting celebration of a remarkable year of football.
