Since the 2011 season the NFL has held its annual NFL Honors ceremony recognizing outstanding achievements on the field of play by players and coaches. The ceremony for the 2022 NFL awards was held on February 9, 2023 at Phoenix Symphony Hall in Arizona. Among awards granted were the NFL player of the year award–the AP Most Valuable Player award, defensive and offensive rookies of the year, coach of the year and the heralded Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
A pair of New York Jets rookies won NFL awards, showing some promise for that team in the future. A talented young coach was named assistant coach of the year after landing a head coaching job. And a superstar quarterback took home the second MVP award in his illustrious career. Who else were the big winners of the night? Let’s find out.
AP Most Valuable Player
Patrick Mahomes
Patrick Lavon Mahomes II (Grim Reaper, Showtime, Magic Man, The Musician, Fatrick, The Gunslinger or Mahomeboy)
Position: QBThrows:Right
6-2,225lb(188cm,102kg)
Team: Kansas City Chiefs
Born: September 17,1995 inTyler,TX (Age:28-031d)
College: Texas Tech(College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 85 (334th overall since 1960)
High School: Whitehouse (TX)
Draft: Kansas City Chiefs in the 1st round (10th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Instagram: patrickmahomes
- 5x Pro Bowl
- 2x All-Pro
- 2x SB Champ
- 2x AP MVP
- 2x PFWA MVP
- 2x SB MVP
- 2018 AP Off. PoY
- 2018 Bert Bell Award
- 2018 PFWA Off. PoY
- 2x SN Off. PoY
15
SUMMARY
2023
Career
G
6
86
AV
–
94
QBrec
5-1-0
69-17-0
Cmp%
68.3
66.5
Yds
1593
25834
Y/A
7.1
8.0
TD
11
203
Int
5
54
FantPt
116.2
1983.2
Taking home the most coveted of all individual NFL trophies at the 12th annual NFL Honors ceremony was Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. This was Mahomes’ second NFL player of the year award, his other MVP coming in the 2018 season. During the 2022 campaign, Mahomes threw for 41 passing touchdowns and a career-high 5,250 passing yards. He finished the season with a 67.1 completion percentage, another career high, and a 79.0 QBR. Topping off his incredible season was a victory in Super Bowl LVII, where his Chiefs were crowned as the 2022 NFL Champions. Cementing his place as one of the best NFL winners, Mahomes was named Super Bowl MVP. How will he follow up this success in the future?
AP Coach of the Year
Brian Daboll
Brian Daboll
Born: April 14,1975 inWelland,Ontario (Age:48-187d)
College: Rochester
- 2020 AP Asst. Coach/Year
- 2022 AP Coach/Year
- 2020 PFWA Asst. Coach/Year
- 2022 PFWA Coach/Year
In his first year as a head coach, Brian Daboll took the New York Giants to the playoffs with a 9-7-1 record, a huge improvement over the previous year’s 4-13 mark. After beating the Minnesota Vikings in their first playoff game since the 2016 season, Daboll’s Giants would lose to division rival and the eventual NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles during the divisional round.
AP Comeback Player of the Year
Geno Smith
Eugene Cyril Smith III
Position: QBThrows:Right
6-3,221lb(190cm,100kg)
Team: Seattle Seahawks
Born: October 10,1990 inMiramar,FL (Age:33-008d)
College: West Virginia(College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 31 (3625th overall since 1960)
High School: Miramar (FL)
Draft: New York Jets in the 2nd round (39th overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Relatives: CousinMelBratton
- 1x Pro Bowl
- 2022 AP Comeback Player
- 2022 PFWA Comeback Player
- 2022 PFWA MIP
7 3 3 7
+3
SUMMARY
2023
Career
G
5
67
AV
–
33
QBrec
3-2-0
25-31-0
Cmp%
67.7
63.3
Yds
1169
12368
Y/A
7.1
7.1
TD
5
69
Int
3
51
FantPt
66.8
806.7
“They wrote me off, I ain’t write back though!” This was Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith’s quote after an opening week Monday night victory over the Denver Broncos, led by Seattle’s former QB, Russell Wilson. After an injury-plagued four seasons with the Jets followed by unremarkable stints with the Giants and Chargers, Smith signed with the Seahawks in 2019 before being named the starter for the 2022 season. By this time, nobody had expected him to win many games, much less gain an invite to the NFL season awards. But after throwing for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns, he led the Seahawks to a 9-8 record and a playoff berth, in one of the 2022 season’s more remarkable storylines.
AP Offensive Player of the Year
Justin Jefferson
Justin Joshua Jefferson
Position: WRThrows:Right
6-1,195lb(185cm,88kg)
Team: Minnesota Vikings (Injured Reserve)
Born: June 16,1999 inSt. Rose,LA (Age:24-124d)
College: LSU(College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 39 (2656th overall since 1960)
High School: Destrehan (LA)
Draft: Minnesota Vikings in the 1st round (22nd overall) of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Instagram: jjettas2
- 3x Pro Bowl
- 1x All-Pro
- 2022 AP Off. PoY
- 2022 PFWA Off. PoY
- 2022 SN Off. PoY
- 2020 SN RoY
18
SUMMARY
2023
Career
G
5
55
AV
–
41
Rec
36
360
Yds
571
5396
Y/R
15.9
15.0
TD
3
28
FantPt
73.1
722.4
After three explosive seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, wide receiver Justin Jefferson is already on his way to Canton. Amassing a 76.8% vote share, Jefferson beat out the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts for the most prestigious offense-specific of all the NFL awards. In the 2022 season, Jefferson caught 128 passes for 1,809 yards and eight touchdowns. Already one of the most feared offensive weapons in the league before his 25th birthday, Jefferson has averaged 96.5 yards per game in his first three seasons, the most all time.
AP Defensive Player of the Year
Nick Bosa
Nick Bosa
Position: EDGE
6-4,266lb(193cm,120kg)
Team: San Francisco 49ers
Born: October 23,1997 inFort Lauderdale,FL (Age:25-360d)
College: Ohio St.(College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 41 (2454th overall since 1960)
High School: St. Thomas Aquinas (FL)
Draft: San Francisco 49ers in the 1st round (2nd overall) of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Instagram: nbsmallerbear
Relatives: BrotherJoeyBosa; CousinJakeKumerow; FatherJohnBosa; GrandfatherPalmerPyle; GreatuncleMikePyle; UncleEricKumerow
- 3x Pro Bowl
- 1x All-Pro
- 2022 AP Def. PoY
- 2019 AP Def. RoY
- 2022 PFWA Def. PoY
- 2019 PFWA Def. RoY
- 2019 PFWA RoY
- 2022 SN Def. PoY
- 2019 SN RoY
97
SUMMARY
2023
Career
G
6
57
AV
–
43
Sk
2.5
45.5
Solo
10
126
FF
8
Racking up 164 total tackles and a league-leading 18.5 sacks, 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa was named a near-unanimous NFL player of the year on defense, gaining 46 of 50 first place votes at the NFL Honors. He also finished sixth in voting for the MVP award, the highest among defensive players.
AP Offensive Rookie of the Year
Garrett Wilson
Garrett Wilson (Gumby)
Position: WRThrows:Right
6-0,192lb(183cm,87kg)
Team: New York Jets
Born: July 22,2000 (Age:23-088d)
College: Ohio St.(College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 8 (9014th overall since 1960)
High School: Lake Travis (TX)
Draft: New York Jets in the 1st round (10th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Twitter: @GarrettWilson_V · Instagram: garrettwilson
- 2022 AP Off. RoY
- 2022 PFWA Off. RoY
17
SUMMARY
2023
Career
G
6
23
AV
–
8
Rec
32
115
Yds
369
1472
Y/R
11.5
12.8
TD
2
6
FantPt
48.9
181.6
When the Jets drafted Ohio State wideout Garrett Wilson 10th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft, they knew they were getting a good player. They did not know they would be getting an instant NFL awards winner. Despite the Jets’ season-long quarterback drama, Wilson emerged as the team’s top target, hauling in 1,103 yards and four touchdowns. Though he has not made a Pro Bowl yet, Wilson is already one of the AFC’s budding young stars.
AP Defensive Rookie of the Year
Sauce Gardner
Ahmad Gardner (Sauce)
Position: CB
6-3,200lb(190cm,90kg)
Team: New York Jets
Born: August 31,2000 inDetroit,MI (Age:23-048d)
College: Cincinnati(College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 14 (6931st overall since 1960)
High School: Martin Luther King (MI)
Draft: New York Jets in the 1st round (4th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Twitter: @iamSauceGardner · Instagram: saucegardner
- 1x Pro Bowl
- 1x All-Pro
- 2022 AP Def. RoY
- 2022 PFWA Def. RoY
- 2022 PFWA RoY
- 2022 SN RoY
1
SUMMARY
2023
Career
G
5
22
AV
–
14
Int
2
Yds
19
TD
Has any team had a better first round draft than the 2022 New York Jets? Selecting Cincinnati defensive back Sauce Gardner fourth overall, head coach Robert Salah was given two rookie of the year NFL winners in the top 10. Gardner won AP Defensive Rookie of the Year with a whopping 96.8% of the vote share in the category. Gardner finished the season with 51 solo tackles, 24 assists and a pair of interceptions.
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year
Dak Prescott
Rayne Dakota Prescott (The Fortress)
Position: QBThrows:Right
6-2,238lb(188cm,107kg)
Team: Dallas Cowboys
Born: July 29,1993 inSulphur,LA (Age:30-081d)
College: Mississippi St.(College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 77 (488th overall since 1960)
High School: Haughton (LA)
Draft: Dallas Cowboys in the 4th round (135th overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft.
- 2x Pro Bowl
- 2021 NVP
- 2016 AP Off. RoY
- 2022 Walter Payton MotY
4
SUMMARY
2023
Career
G
6
103
AV
–
88
QBrec
4-2-0
65-38-0
Cmp%
69.5
66.7
Yds
1333
26276
Y/A
7.0
7.6
TD
6
172
Int
4
69
FantPt
83.8
1908.9
One of the most prestigious NFL trophies has little to do with scoring touchdowns, recording sacks or even winning games. The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year can be thought of as the NFL player of the year award for off-field endeavors and service. The 2022 award went to charity-minded Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Prescott is the founder of the Faith Fight Finish Foundation (FFFF), which focuses on colon cancer research, mental health and bridging the gap between law enforcement and communities. Prescott has also been recognized for candidly speaking about his own mental health following the onset of COVID-19 pandemic and tragic passing of his brother in April 2020.
AP Assistant Coach of the Year
DeMeco Ryans
DeMeco Ryans (Mufasa)
Position: LB
6-1,247lb(185cm,112kg)
Born: July 28,1984 inBessemer,AL (Age:39-082d)
College: Alabama(College Stats)
Weighted Career AV (100-95-…): 58 (1153rd overall since 1960)
High School: Jess Lanier (AL)
Draft: Houston Texans in the 2nd round (33rd overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft.
As Coach: 3Yrs(FullRecord)
Pronunciation: \duh-ME-co\
Twitter: @DRyans59
- 2x Pro Bowl
- 2022 AP Asst. Coach/Year
- 2006 AP Def. RoY
- 2022 PFWA Asst. Coach/Year
- 2006 PFWA Def. RoY
59 59
+1
SUMMARY
Career
G
140
AV
70
Sk
13.5
Solo
735
FF
7
Two-time Pro Bowl linebacker DeMeco Ryans may have hung up his playing cleats after the 2015 season with the Philadelphia Eagles but that hasn’t stopped him from creating nightmares for NFL offenses. As the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers, Ryans coached the top overall defense in the NFL in 2022, including AP Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa. NFC West offenses can take a slight breath of relief as Ryans’ achievements resulted in him being named the coach of the team that drafted him, the Houston Texans, in January 2023.
Week after week, NFL fans watch as some of the most gifted athletes compete head to head on the field of play. And while the ultimate goal for all players and coaches is a Super Bowl victory, being recognized at the end-of-year NFL awards ceremony is still a tremendous honor.
The NFL Honors ceremony for the 2022 season was a grand celebration of the season that was, and a look ahead at the promise of future seasons. Patrick Mahomes won his second MVP, how many more will he add to his legacy? How will the Jets build on the young talents of Sauce Gardner and Garrett Wilson? How will DeMeco Ryans fare as a head coach? Only time will tell, until then we’ll all be watching.
This entry was posted on Monday, October 23rd, 2023 at 11:45 amand is filed under NFL Awards.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.Both comments and pings are currently closed.
