NFL awards 2026: the biggest winners revealed ahead of Super Bowl LX

The NFL handed out its biggest individual honours on Thursday night as the league’s stars gathered in San Francisco ahead of Super Bowl LX.

The annual NFL awards ceremony was held at the Palace of Fine Arts, just days before the Seattle Seahawks face the New England Patriots at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

MVP headline as Stafford dominates awards night

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford emerged as the night’s headline winner, being named Most Valuable Player after a standout 2025 season.

At 37, Stafford led the NFL in passing yards with 4,707, threw a league-high 46 touchdowns and posted a touchdown-interception ratio of 5.8. He finished comfortably ahead of New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, recording 313 more passing yards and 15 more touchdowns. The campaign marked only the eighth time in NFL history that a quarterback produced at least 4,500 yards and 45 touchdowns in a single season.

Record breakers and breakout stars take centre stage

Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett was named Defensive Player of the Year after delivering a record-breaking campaign. Garrett registered 23 sacks to set a new single-season mark, despite being double-teamed or chipped on nearly 40 percent of his pass rushes. He also recorded 33 tackles for loss, the second-highest total by any player since 2000.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan claimed Offensive Rookie of the Year after leading all first-year players in receiving yards with 1,014. The eighth overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft caught 70 passes, scored seven touchdowns and set a new Panthers rookie record.

Chicago Bears guard Joe Thuney took home the inaugural Protector of the Year award. Thuney did not allow a single sack throughout the season and earned first-team All-Pro honours for a fourth consecutive year, playing a key role in Chicago’s turnaround.

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey was named Comeback Player of the Year after returning from injury to deliver another dominant season. McCaffrey finished with 2,126 scrimmage yards and 17 total touchdowns, starting all 19 games including the playoffs.

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was awarded Coach of the Year after guiding the Patriots to a 14-3 regular-season record and a Super Bowl appearance in his first season in charge. The 10-game improvement tied the best single-season turnaround in NFL history.

Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger earned Defensive Rookie of the Year honours after leading all rookies in tackles with 146, while also recording 11 tackles for loss and two interceptions.

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba completed the major honours by being named Offensive Player of the Year. He led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards, scored 10 touchdowns and set a new franchise record, despite playing in the league’s most run-heavy offence.

Where to watch Super Bowl LX

Super Bowl LX takes place on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The game will be broadcast live on NBC, with coverage beginning ahead of the 6:30pm ET kick-off.