Jan. 14, 2026, 7:03 a.m. ET
The 2025 NFL season isn’t quite in the books. But with the regular season finished, we can begin our postmortem.
That starts with league awards. As a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PWFA), I get to cast my vote for everything from NFL MVP to All-Pro teams to digging deep to find a rookie center who made a hefty contribution (spoiler: there really wasn’t one this year). This isn’t the Associated Press vote, which has already been tallied and All-Pro teams have been announced. It’s the PFWA version, which will roll out across a five-day stretch beginning January 19.
So, as is tradition, let’s talk about who I voted for.
Most Valuable Player: Drake Maye, New England Patriots
This was the two-man race everyone made it out to be. Maye won more games, generated one of the biggest turnarounds in NFL history and was an absolute runaway winner when it came to advanced stats. Matthew Stafford played a tougher schedule, was an absolute juggernaut at times and led the league in traditional stats.
Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.
Ultimately, Maye elevated his teammates more. As Bill Barnwell points out, three different Patriot wideouts ranked in the top-six when it came to catch rate over expected this fall. Either that’s because Stefon Diggs (sure), Mack Hollins and Kayshon Boutte (eh….) are singular presences and some of the best receivers in the league. Or, it’s because the guy throwing them the ball is putting it in places where they can make a play that other quarterbacks can’t. Factor in Maye’s scrambling ability and the drop-off in supporting cast between he and Stafford and, yep, that’s my QB1.
Offensive Player of the Year: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks
This was a fierce battle between Smith-Njigba and division rival Puka Nacua. Smith-Njigba had more receiving yards, more yards per target and a slightly higher degree of difficulty via average target depth (11.3 to 9.4). Nacua had more catches, more yards per route run (3.73 to 3.61… no other qualified wideout was higher than 2.7) and a better catch rate.
Ultimately, JSN got the call because of what he meant to Seattle’s passing game. There was no Davante Adams to buttress him. This is a man who faced brackets throughout 2025 because teams weren’t afraid of anyone else in the Seattle passing game. Even as Sam Darnold faded he knew the easiest solution to his problems was winging the ball to his all-world wideout. That added degree of difficulty tipped the scale in the Seahawk’s favor.
Defensive Player of the Year: Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
I mean, come on.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina PanthersDefensive Rookie of the Year: Carson Schwesinger, Cleveland Browns
Schwesinger was an easy choice. No rookie shares the overall impact he had on the game, even if it meant toiling for a Cleveland defense that had to do a ton of heavy lifting.
McMillan was trickier. Tyler Shough’s ability to adjust as games wore on and lead a depleted Saints offense to respectability made him a viable candidate, but he only made nine starts. Jaxson Dart and Cam Ward managed bursts of excitement against below-average play thanks to a lack of above-average veterans around them. Emeka Egbuka and Tyler Warren both faded with their teams’ postseason hopes down the stretch.
McMillan, however, was a rising tide for an inconsistent Bryce Young. His ability to beat bracketed coverage to find space OR haul in contested catches through traffic made him an asset and was the difference between Carolina winning the NFC South or spending another year as an also-ran. Leading all rookies in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns didn’t hurt, either.
Comeback Player of the Year: Chris Olave, New Orleans Saints
From missing nine games due to injury and a spot on the trading block to 100 catches and a positive influence on two different young quarterbacks. Olave proved his value in 2025.
Most Improved Player of the Year: Caleb Williams, Chicago Bears
Williams’ slow starts are a concern, but he showcased his ability to rise to the moment and make the Bears a legitimate Super Bowl contender. That was more impressive than breakthrough years for Smith-Njigba, Maye, George Pickens, Will Anderson Jr., Javonte Williams or a handful of other viable candidates.
Coach of the Year: Liam Coen, Jacksonville Jaguars
Like running back, there are so many deserving candidates and so few spots. With apologies to Mike Macdonald, Mike Vrabel, Ben Johnson, DeMeco Ryans, Kyle Shanahan and Sean Payton, Coen’s in-season adjustments to make a flawed Jacksonville team an absolute wagon down the stretch — maximizing Trevor Lawrence’s strengths and stapling together a top-three defense over the last half of the season — made him my huckleberry.
Executive of the Year: Eliot Wolf, New England Patriots
From 4-13 to 14-3 thanks to Maye’s improvements and massive contributions from new arrivals in both free agency and the draft. That’ll do it.
Assistant Coach of the Year: Klint Kubiak, Seattle Seahawks
Kubiak has Seattle’s defense playing like a furious swarm of bees at all times.
Now, on to my first-team All-Pro picks. I’ll break out a few selections I debated internally.
2025 NFL first-team All-Pros
Quarterback: Drake Maye, New England Patriots
Running Back: Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons and Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts
Tailback is a position with two available slots and at least five worthy candidates. It hurt to leave Christian McCaffrey off the list, but his below-average running — minus-166 rushing yards over expected (RYOE) were worst in the NFL — was enough to elevate Taylor to the first team. While the Colts’ star faded down the stretch he was also hamstrung by declining quarterback play that shrank head coach Shane Steichen’s playbook.
Wide Receiver: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks and Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
Tight End: Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals
Center: Aaron Brewer, Miami Dolphins
Guard: Quinn Meinerz, Denver Broncos and Joe Thuney, Chicago Bears
Offensive Tackle: Garrett Bolles, Denver Broncos and Darnell Wright, Chicago Bears
Defensive End: Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns and Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans
Let’s talk about Anderson over Detroit Lions star Aidan Hutchinson.
Hutchinson led the NFL in pressures (89) and ranked fourth in sacks (14.5). But Anderson had 85 pressures in nearly 140 fewer pass rushing snaps. His 19.5 percent pressure rate was higher than any other full-time pass rusher but Micah Parsons (who got a first-team nod at outside linebacker despite missing the tail end of the season with a torn ACL) and Nik Bonitto (who made it at the other OLB slot).
On the other hand, Anderson got to clean up some of the chaos sewn by Danielle Hunter. Hutchinson got 11 sacks from rotational rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad, but no other Detroit Lion had more than six quarterback hits. A tough call, for sure. Anderson’s ability to do a little more with less made him the response to a question without a wrong answer.
Defensive Tackle: Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee Titans and Zach Allen, Denver Broncos
With apologies to Cam Heyward, who is 37 years old and still logged more snaps in 2025 than any other interior lineman, as well as Jordan Davis and Derrick Brown (who is a 3-4 end but still fits the bill).
Outside Linebacker: Micah Parsons, Green Bay Packers and Nik Bonitto, Denver Broncos
Inside/Middle Linebacker: Ernest Jones, Seattle Seahawks
Want to hear something I hate? The PFWA has two slots for outside linebackers — ostensibly your edge rushers from the second level — but only one slot for an inside linebacker. That’s one honor for a field that includes Jordyn Brooks, Devin Lloyd, Jack Campbell and Carson Schwesinger. No matter how you fill this out, you’ll be left with a *bunch* of snubs.
Jones got a little credit for being the center of gravity behind the league’s top defense — though that could be overstating his skill because he was surrounded by demons in Seattle’s not-yet-determined level of hell. He was a stalwart in coverage, logging five interceptions and recording a passer rating equal to Derek Stingley’s (see below). While he didn’t offer much as a pass rusher (only 25 blitzing snaps), his run-stuffing presence and low missed tackle rate made him a reliable, set-it-and-forget-it presence in the middle of the field.
Cornerback: Derek Stingley Jr., Houston Texans and Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia Eagles
I wanted to go with an unheralded name here. Did you know Donte Jackson yielded the second-lowest passer rating among full-time cornerbacks this fall? That Joey Porter Jr. allowed only five yards per target? That Tre’Davious White turned back the clock with his best season since 2020?
But, nope, Stingley and Mitchell were too overwhelming when it came to the eye test and in their numbers. Stingley allowed a 54.0 passer rating. On 43 percent of the targets thrown his way were caught. Both numbers led all full-time cornerbacks. Mitchell was one of the most-targeted cornerbacks in the NFL despite holding opponents to a 44 percent completion rate for testing him.Â
There was plenty of good defensive back play in 2025. Stingley and Mitchell, however, were the elite gliding over the good.
Safety: Jalen Pitre, Houston Texans and Derwin James, Los Angeles Chargers
Neither one of these guys is a pure over the top centerfielder. Both find ways to inject havoc into almost every drive. Pitre had four interceptions without allowing a touchdown in 58 targets this season, averaging -0.6 expected points added (EPA) per coverage play. James played at least 100 snaps lined up deep, in the slot, at linebacker or on the line of scrimmage and still finished with a 53.4 passer rating allowed, two sacks and three interceptions. The league is so much better when he’s healthy.
Placekicker: Will Reichard, Minnesota Vikings
Punter: Daniel Whelan, Green Bay Packers
Kickoff Returner: Ray Davis, Buffalo Bills
Punt Returner: Chimere Dike, Tennessee Titans
Special Teamer: Brevyn Spann-Ford, Dallas Cowboys
If a tight end finishes his season with more than a tackle per game, he’s doing something right on special teams. Spann-Ford is a name you hear at Cowboys games more often than his nine catches in 2025 suggests.
That’s all for now. I’ll have my all-rookie team picks tomorrow.