Entering Week 9, the races for key end-of-season awards are taking shape.
In the NFC, there’s a hot duel for Offensive Rookie of the Year that includes two quarterbacks. Meanwhile, another QB in the conference is making a strong case for MVP.
Here is a closer look.
NFC East
DALLAS COWBOYS | LB DeMarvion Overshown, Comeback Player of the Year | A safety in college, “DeeMo” was drafted to play linebacker in 2023, but the third-round pick suffered a torn ACL before the regular season and spent 2023 on injured reserve. These days, he’s all over the field, leading the team with 31 solo tackles and trailing only Eric Kendricks (93 percent) for most snaps played by a Cowboys linebacker (78 percent) this season.
NEW YORK GIANTS | WR Malik Nabers, Offensive Rookie of the Year | Despite poor play from QB Daniel Jones, Nabers leads the Giants and all rookie pass-catchers with 83 yards per game, the sixth-best number among NFL receivers. At this rate, the team’s first-round pick is on schedule to gain 1,245 receiving yards in 2024, 60 fewer than former Giant Odell Beckham Jr. needed to win the award in 2014.
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES | WR A.J. Brown, Most Valuable Player | Sidelined with a hamstring injury from Weeks 2-4, Brown watched the Eagles go 1-2 with two passing touchdowns. He helped the team win three straight games with 289 yards receiving and two TDs since his return in Week 6. No wide receiver has won MVP, but with the second-best yards-per-game average (102) in the league, Brown is the alpha of Philadelphia’s offense.
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS | QB Jayden Daniels, Offensive Rookie of the Year | Following in the footsteps of C.J. Stroud, who earned the award as the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, this year’s No. 2 pick is currently the odds-on favorite (-450) to do the same, according to ESPN BET as of Wednesday (Oct. 30). With the second-best completion percentage (71.8) in the NFL, Daniels has the Commanders on top of the NFC East with a 6-2 record after pulling off a remarkable Hail Mary to beat the Bears 18-15 in Week 8. — Bruce Ewing
NFC West
ARIZONA CARDINALS | WR Marvin Harrison Jr. | Offensive Rookie of the Year | Harrison arrived in Arizona with extremely high expectations after his selection as the No. 4 overall pick in the NFL Draft. His production has been a little inconsistent at times, but he is starting to find his footing and putting up big numbers (26 catches, 411 yards and five TDs) for the 4-4 Cardinals.
LOS ANGELES RAMS | Edge-rusher Jared Verse | Defensive Rookie of the Year | The Rams had a first-round pick for the first time since the 2016 season and smartly used it to select an edge-rusher. Verse has 2.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss and 12 QB hits. He’s a disruptive force and one of the few bright spots on L.A.’s defense.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS | RB Jordan Mason | Offensive Player of the Year | The 49ers already have one running back who has won Offensive Player of the Year on their roster (Christian McCaffrey). Let’s add to that list with Mason, who has filled in admirably for the injured McCaffrey, accumulating 685 yards rushing and three TDs on 134 carries (5.1 yards per carry).
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS | HC Mike Macdonald | Coach of the Year | This is a long shot because the Seahawks are 4-4, but if they can win an NFC West title after missing the playoffs a season ago, that would give Macdonald momentum for the award. That’s especially so if the former Ravens defensive coordinator can help turn around the defense, which is consistently among the NFL’s worst in recent seasons. — Adam Gretz
NFC North
CHICAGO BEARS | QB Caleb Williams, Offensive Rookie of the Year | The 2024 first overall pick has met expectations, delivering two 300-plus-yard passing performances and leading all rookies in touchdown passes (nine). It will likely take a collapse from Commanders QB Jayden Daniels for Williams to become the betting favorite, but Williams holds the second-best odds (+650) on DraftKings as of Wednesday (Oct. 30) for the award.
DETROIT LIONS | QB Jared Goff, Most Valuable Player | After a tumultuous start to the season, Goff has thrown for 1,171 yards and 12 touchdowns over the team’s past five games, completing 83 percent of his passes and throwing only one interception. His playing style isn’t the flashiest, but his efficiency and accuracy have fueled the NFL’s highest-scoring offense (33.4 points per game) and has Detroit (6-1) atop the NFC as we near the season’s midway point.
GREEN BAY PACKERS | Safety Xavier McKinney, Defensive Player of the Year | McKinney has been a turnover machine in his first season with the Packers, recording six interceptions through eight games. He’s on track to become the first player since Oakland’s Lester Hayes in 1980 to record 12 interceptions in a season and could contest the record of 14 set by Hall of Famer “Night Train” Lane in 1952 with the Los Angeles Rams.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS | HC Kevin O’Connell, Coach of the Year | Despite a two-game skid following their first 5-0 start since 2016, the Vikings remain a serious playoff threat primarily due to their offensive mastermind at head coach. With Sam Darnold at QB, O’Connell has orchestrated the seventh-highest-scoring offense (26.9 points per game), and he boasts the second-shortest odds (+500) on DraftKings as of Wednesday (Oct. 30) to win his first Coach of the Year Award. — Josh Eaton
NFC South
ATLANTA FALCONS | QB Kirk Cousins, Comeback Player of the Year | It was just over a year ago when Cousins suffered a ruptured Achilles against the Packers. The veteran quarterback has been everything the Falcons could have hoped for, completing 68.3 percent of his passes for 2,106 yards and 14 TD passes.
CAROLINA PANTHERS | RB Chuba Hubbard, Offensive Player of the Year | The former Oklahoma State back took the starting job from 2023 free agent Miles Sanders and ran away with it. Hubbard ranks fifth in the league in rushing (593 yards), making him the best player on arguably the league’s worst team.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS | RB Alvin Kamara, Offensive Player of the Year | The 2-6 Saints have fallen apart, but don’t blame that on Kamara. The 2017 Offensive Rookie of the Year has looked better than in recent seasons, already totaling 812 yards from scrimmage in eight games.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS | RB Bucky Irving, Offensive Rookie of the Year | Irving, Tampa Bay’s fourth-round pick (No. 125 overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft, is the key reason the Bucs have gone from having the league’s worst rushing offense for two years in a row to the 10th best in 2024. The former Oregon running back has 395 yards on 76 carries (5.2 yards per attempt), far outpacing veteran back Rachaad White, who’s only averaging 3.8 yards on 67 rush attempts. — Eric Smithling
