The 2022 NFL Honors took place on Thursday night ahead of Super Bowl 56. The show saw the top players from the 2021-22 NFL season rewarded for their performances this year. Let’s take a look at who took home the awards on a star-studded night in Los Angeles.
List of NFL Honors main award winners
Several awards were handed out on Thursday, recognizing players and coaches both on the field and in the community. Who won each of the main awards handed out at the 2022 NFL Honors?
NFL MVP
Aaron Rodgers | Green Bay Packers
Rodgers now stands alone with four NFL MVP awards. He is just one behind Peyton Manning for the most MVP awards ever. Having won the last two, he has a great chance to match the Hall of Fame QB. Rodgers also joined a select list of players to have won the MVP award in back-to-back seasons.
Offensive Player of the Year
Cooper Kupp | Los Angeles Rams
Kupp became just the third wide receiver to win the Offensive Player of the Year award in the last 30 years. Who are the only two other members of that club? Jerry Rice (1993) and Michael Thomas (2019).
Heading into Thursday, there was a slight question mark over whether it would be Kupp or RB Jonathan Taylor who won the award. However, the Los Angeles Rams’ WR got the nod from the voters.
Defensive Player of the Year
T.J. Watt | Pittsburgh Steelers
It was no real surprise that Watt took home the Defensive Player of the Year award after matching Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record. Watt earned the award for the first time and it is the fourth DPOY award won by the Watt brothers in the last 10 years.
Coach of the Year
Mike Vrabel | Tennessee Titans
In what was viewed as a tight contest between Vrabel, Zac Taylor, and Matt LaFleur, it was Vrabel who came out on top in the Coach of the Year voting. Vrabel taking home the award makes the 2022 NFL Honors the sixth consecutive year a coach has won the award for the first time.
Assistant Coach of the Year
Dan Quinn | Dallas Cowboys
How things change in a year. In the 2020-21 season, the Atlanta Falcons fired Quinn as head coach. Less than 18 months later, he earned Assistant Coach of the Year honors after turning around what had been a woeful Cowboys defense.
Comeback Player of the Year
Joe Burrow | Cincinnati Bengals
It was a tight call whether Burrow or Dak Prescott would take home the Comeback Player of the Year award — both led their teams to division titles coming off serious leg injuries. Ultimately, the incredible turnaround that Burrow helped lead the Bengals to this season gave him the edge over Prescott.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Ja’Marr Chase | Cincinnati Bengals
The last offseason was filled with much debate around the Bengals and Chase. Many felt the Bengals should have reinforced their offensive line, while Chase’s issues with drops were highlighted in the preseason. Chase would defy those discussions to win the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, posting 1,455 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns on 81 receptions.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Micah Parsons | Dallas Cowboys
Parsons became a versatile chess piece for the Cowboys in the 2021-22 season. Starting the year at linebacker, he made a seamless transition to help the team rush the passer. He finished the season with 13 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 3 pass breakups, and 84 combined tackles. He was deservedly rewarded with the Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year
Andrew Whitworth | Los Angeles Rams
The Rams matched their Super Bowl opponents with two major awards at the 2022 NFL Honors. Whitworth took home the Walter Payton Man of the Year award for his volunteer/charity work and his excellence on the field. His charitable work includes his Big Whit 77 Foundation, serving a mission to impact the lives of youth and families in the local community.
Other awards handed out at the 2022 NFL Honors
While the awards listed above are considered the “main” awards of the night, there are several other awards handed out during the evening. Here is a list of the other award winners from the 2022 NFL Honors.
- Salute to Service Award
Andrew Beck | Denver Broncos - FedEx Air Player of the Year
Tom Brady | Tampa Bay Buccaneers - FedEx Ground Player of the Year
Jonathan Taylor | Indianapolis Colts - Bridgestone Performance Play of the Year
Justin Tucker | Baltimore Ravens
Game-winning 66-yard field goal as time expired against the Detroit Lions. It was the longest field goal in NFL history. - DraftKings Daily Fantasy Player of the Year
Cooper Kupp | Los Angeles Rams - Bud Light Celly of the Year
Christian Wilkins | Miami Dolphins - Deacon Jones Award
T.J. Watt | Pittsburgh Steelers - Art Rooney Award
Matthew Slater | New England Patriots - Bart Starr Award
Russell Wilson | Seattle Seahawks