NEW ORLEANS — Josh Allen narrowly defeated two-time winner Lamar Jackson to win the AP NFL Most Valuable Player award in a tightly contested competition reminiscent of the 2016 race between Matt Ryan and Tom Brady. Allen guided the Buffalo Bills to their fifth consecutive AFC East title, garnering 27 first-place votes compared to Jackson’s 23, resulting in a total of 383 points. In addition, Allen received 22 second-place votes and one third-place vote.
Jackson, who led the Ravens to their second consecutive AFC North championship, tallied 26 second-place votes and one fourth-place vote for an overall total of 362 points. Following them in the rankings were Eagles running back Saquon Barkley in third place (120 points), Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (82 points), and Lions QB Jared Goff (47 points).
In terms of performance, Allen threw for 3,731 yards with 28 touchdowns and six interceptions, achieving a passer rating of 101.4. He also rushed for 531 yards and scored 12 touchdowns, making him the first player in NFL history to record five consecutive seasons with at least 40 total touchdowns. On the other hand, Jackson set personal bests in passing yards with 4,172, logged 41 touchdowns against only four interceptions, and held an outstanding NFL-leading passer rating of 119.6. Despite being named a first-team All-Pro with 30 first-place votes, he did not clinch the MVP award—a rare occurrence since the last time a first-team All-Pro did not win the MVP was in 1987.
In the AP Coach of the Year category, Kevin O’Connell claimed the title, edging out Dan Campbell after leading the Minnesota Vikings to an impressive 14 wins with quarterback Sam Darnold. The Vikings, who were often predicted to finish last in the NFC North, battled for the division title and secured the conference’s top seed, though their playoff run ended with a loss to the Rams following a defeat by the Lions. O’Connell received 25 first-place votes, 18 second-place votes, and seven third-place votes, appearing on all the 50 ballots. Campbell guided Detroit to a franchise-record 15 wins and finished second with 19 first-place votes. Other notable coaches, including Andy Reid (Kansas City), Sean Payton (Denver), and Dan Quinn (Washington) also received first-place votes.
As for the AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, Jared Verse from the Los Angeles Rams was decisively honored for his performance, which included 4.5 sacks, leading all rookies with 18 quarterback hits, 77 pressures, and 56 hurries, alongside 11 tackles for loss. Verse overwhelmingly led the voting with 37 first-place votes, while Eagles rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell followed with nine votes.
Joe Burrow earned the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year title after a successful return from wrist surgery in 2023, amassing 4,918 passing yards and 43 touchdowns. Having played all 17 games for the Bengals (9-8) after missing a significant part of the previous season, Burrow received 31 first-place votes, far ahead of Chargers running back J.K. Dobbins, who garnered just three. Other players like Vikings QB Sam Darnold, Bills safety Damar Hamlin, and Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez also picked up first-place votes.
The AP Offensive Player of the Year award went to Saquon Barkley, who rushed for an impressive 2,005 yards in his first season with the Philadelphia Eagles, marking the eighth-best rushing total in NFL history. Barkley sat out the final regular-season game 101 yards shy of surpassing Eric Dickerson’s single-season record but maintained a strong performance with 442 rushing yards and five touchdowns throughout the playoffs. To set the all-time rushing record, Barkley needs just 30 yards in the Super Bowl. He collected 35 of 50 first-place votes, while Lamar Jackson received 12, and teammate Derrick Henry, alongside quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Josh Allen, each secured one.
Patrick Surtain II won the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award as a cornerback for the Denver Broncos, receiving 26 first-place votes. His defensive prowess included allowing just 37 receptions and achieving four interceptions, with opposing quarterbacks registering a passer rating of only 61.1 against him.
Jayden Daniels was honored as the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, receiving 49 out of 50 first-place votes following his contributions to the Washington Commanders’ successful 12-win season. The No. 2 overall pick threw for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns, and he also rushed for 891 yards and six scores, leading his team through the playoffs before coming up short against the Eagles.
Finally, the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year award went to Ben Johnson, earning 29 first-place votes for his outstanding role as the Lions offensive coordinator. Johnson’s offensive strategies led the team to become the highest-scoring unit in the league. He later transitioned to head coach for the Chicago Bears after the team’s playoff exit. In the voting, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and former Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn finished second and third, respectively.
