Tonight the NFL will recognise the best performers of the 2021 season at the NFL Honors in Los Angeles. Here are my picks for each of the major awards that are up for grabs.
MVP and Offensive Player of the Year – Cooper Kupp
Aaron Rodgers is the clear favourite to win the fourth MVP award of his career. That said, when you get away from the idea that MVP has to go to a quarterback, there is only one real winner. Kupp didn’t just put up the best numbers of any receiver, but compiled one of the greatest seasons the position has ever season. He finished the year with 145 catches for 1,943 yards and 16 touchdowns.
In doing so he led the NFL in all three categories, becoming just the fourth player to do so since the 1970 merger. His 145 receptions are the second most in a single season and he finished just 18 yards shy of breaking Calvin Johnson’s receiving yards record. This was one of the greatest individual seasons we have seen in recent years and should be more than enough to warrant winning MVP and OPOY.
Defensive Player of the Year – Aaron Donald
T.J. Watt may end up winning this award by virtue of tying the NFL sack record, but Donald had the more impactful season. He finished the year with 86 pressures, the second most in the NFL and almost 20 more than the next best interior lineman. His 15 sacks also ranked sixth in the NFL, despite playing along the interior where pass rushing pressure is harder to come by.
Whilst his pass rushing productivity was hugely impressive, Donald separates himself from the competition with his ability as a run defender. He finished with 35 run stops, tied for the most amongst defensive linemen. His 90.0 PFF run defense grade was also the best at the position and ranked fifth across the entire NFL.
Offensive Rookie of the Year – Ja’Marr Chase
There were a number of impressive rookie performances this year but none came close to matching Chase. He finished the season with 1,455 receiving yards, setting a rookie record in the process. That number also ranked fourth in the NFL, behind only Cooper Kupp, Justin Jefferson, and Davante Adams. He also scored 13 touchdowns, which ranked third at the position and was the second most by a rookie in NFL history.
Chase managed this on just 81 receptions. His average of 18 yards per catch was the second highest total in the NFL. These numbers weren’t just great for a rookie, but would have been career years for many seasoned veterans. Chase already looks like one of the game’s brightest talents after just one season.
Defensive Rookie of the Year – Micah Parsons
Much like its offensive counterpart, there is really only one winner for this award. Parsons has been arguably the best linebacker in football this season and was a playmaker in every phase of the game. His biggest impact came as a pass rusher, with 67 pressures and 14 sacks. These numbers lead all rookies and rank amongst the best in the NFL, despite Parsons playing primarily as an off-ball linebacker. His 26.2% pass rush win rate ranked second in the NFL.
Parsons has shown up against the run too. He finished the year with 30 run stops and a 10% run stop rate, ranking third and sixth amongst rookies respectively. He even showed up in coverage, allowing just 182 yards on 35 receptions for a passer rating of 80.9.
Comeback Player of the Year – Joe Burrow
Hopes were high for Joe Burrow’s return this season but it still safe to say he has exceeded them. He has not only come back to full strength, but has firmly established himself as one of the NFL’s most talented young quarterbacks. He finished the season with 4,611 passing yards and 34 touchdowns, both of which are Bengals franchise records.
Burrow also led the NFL with a 79.4% adjusted completion rate and had the third highest big-time throw rate at 6.4%. This helped the Bengals to beat the odds and win their first AFC North title and since 2015. It’s important to remember that this was a team who were +2,000 to win the division and +6500 to win the AFC Championship prior to the season.
Coach of the Year – Mike Vrabel
Tennessee’s season might have ended in disappointing fashion in the postseason, but Vrabel deserves a tonne of credit for their regular season performance. He took the team to a 12-5 record, securing their second consecutive AFC South title and their first No. 1 seed since 2008. This is impressive enough before you even factor in the injury crisis that the Titans suffered.
Tennessee were without star running back Derrick Henry for much of the season. They were also without both A.J. Brown and Julio Jones for extended periods. The Titans fielded an NFL record 91 players, a record they set in Week 12. They had 54 players spend time on Injured Reserve and their 336 man games lost were the third most in the NFL. No other team to rank in the top five even had a winning record, let alone made the playoffs.