TAMPA, FL – Aaron Rogers was named the NFL MVP for his third time at the NFL Honors held last night in Tampa. Rogers is the sixth player to win the award three times.
Rogers, who also won in 2011 and 2014 and accepted the honor virtually, beat out Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen received four votes, and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes earned two votes. The votes are submitted by a panel of 50 media members nationwide.
It’s an honor to win this award for the third time,” Rodgers said in a prepared video acceptance speech. “2020 was definitely a crazy year filled with lots of change, growth, some amazing memorable moments, 180 straight days of having my nose hairs scraped, playing for very little fans or no [fans] the entire season. I got engaged, and I played some of the best football of my career. “
Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry and Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald were named the NFL’s offensive and defensive players of the year.
Henry turned in the NFL’s fifth-highest single-season rushing total with 2,027 yards. He also rushed for 17 touchdowns, becoming the sixth player in NFL history to lead the league outright in rushing yards and touchdowns in back-to-back seasons.
Donald won defensive player of the year for the third time in four years, also taking home the award following the 2017 and 2018 seasons. He joined Lawrence Taylor and J.J. Watt as the only players to earn the honor three times since it was first presented in 1971.
Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns won the AP Coach of the year award.
Stefanski, who led the Cleveland Browns to their first winning season since 2007, first playoff appearance since 2002 and first postseason win since 1994, won coach of the year.
Alex Smith of the Washington Football Team won the AP comeback Player of the Year award.
Washington quarterback Alex Smith, who suffered a broken fibula and tibia followed by 17 surgeries because of infections that nearly cost him his right leg, was named comeback player of the year.
The Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert won AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Chase Young of the Washington Football Team took home the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
Herbert was the sixth overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft and threw for 4,336 yards and 31 touchdowns — a single-season rookie record — in 15 games.
Young was the second overall pick in the draft and posted 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries, something only 2003 defensive rookie of the year Terrell Suggs had done as a rookie over the previous 20 seasons.
Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks was honored with the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year presented by Nationwide.
“I got out here and my whole thought process on my heart was, I want to make a difference,” Wilson said. “One, I want to start, I want to play, I want to have a long career and win multiple Super Bowls and hopefully go the Hall of Fame, do all that stuff—that was my thought process my rookie year before I even hopped on the plane here. The other part was I really wanted to make an impact on the city, and I really wanted to be able to make a difference in the community.”
“The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, to me, represents excellence, not just on the field, but more importantly off the field,” Wilson said. “In life, we’re granted the opportunity to have an impact, no matter what sphere of influence we’re around. Walter Payton was one of the greatest examples of what he was able to do not just on the field, but more important off the field to give back and to serve and to love and to care. For me, to be able to be even mentioned with a name like Walter Payton is one of the greatest blessings I could ever have and one of the greatest honors you could ever have.”
Teddy Bridgewater of the Carolina Panthers won the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, and T.J. Wyatt of the Pittsburgh Steelers won the Deacon Jones Award, awarded to the NFL player who led the league in sacks.
