Christian McCaffrey has made history by becoming the first player to be a finalist for three Associated Press NFL awards in a single season. He joins a notable group of contenders for the AP 2025 NFL Most Valuable Player award, which includes Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence, Drake Maye, and Matthew Stafford. In addition to the MVP honor, McCaffrey and Maye are also vying for the Offensive Player of the Year title. Furthermore, McCaffrey and Lawrence are finalists for the Comeback Player of the Year award. Winners of these prestigious awards will be revealed during the NFL Honors ceremony on February 5.
A nationwide panel of 50 media members who closely follow the league conducted the voting process prior to the playoffs. The votes were counted by the accounting firm of Lutz and Carr, with voters ranking their top five selections across eight AP NFL awards. The voting system allocated 10 points for first-place votes, while second through fifth places received five, three, two, and one point respectively.
Finalists for Key Awards
In the race for the Most Valuable Player, Allen, the reigning MVP, had an impressive season. He amassed 3,668 passing yards, threw 25 touchdown passes, and recorded 10 interceptions, culminating in a passer rating of 102.2, leading the Buffalo Bills to their seventh consecutive playoff appearance. He also contributed significantly on the ground with 14 rushing touchdowns. The Bills, however, faced elimination in the divisional round at the hands of Denver and subsequently parted ways with head coach Sean McDermott.
Meanwhile, Lawrence was pivotal in guiding the Jacksonville Jaguars to a successful 13-win season and an AFC South title, finishing with 4,007 passing yards, 29 touchdown passes, and 12 interceptions. The Jaguars were eliminated by the Bills in the wild-card round. McCaffrey, an All-Purpose All-Pro, had a standout year, rushing for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns while also catching 102 passes for 924 yards and seven touchdowns, playing a key role in the injury-stricken San Francisco 49ers” 12-win campaign. Maye led the New England Patriots with 4,394 passing yards, 31 touchdown passes, and eight interceptions, securing an AFC East title and a berth in the AFC Championship game. His performance included leading the league in passer rating and completion percentage.
Stafford led the league with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdown passes, finishing second in passer rating. This season marked his first selection as a first-team All-Pro in his 17-year career.
Coaching and Player Awards
In the Coach of the Year category, Liam Coen made an impressive debut, leading the Jaguars to a 13-4 record and a division title, marking a remarkable nine-win improvement for the franchise. Ben Johnson guided the Chicago Bears to an 11-5 record and their first NFC North championship in seven seasons. Mike Macdonald led the Seattle Seahawks to a remarkable 14-3 record, securing the top seed in the NFC.
Other finalists include Kyle Shanahan of the 49ers, who achieved 12 wins despite significant injuries to key players, and Mike Vrabel, who transformed the Patriots from last place to first in his inaugural season.
In the Assistant Coach of the Year category, finalists include defensive coordinators Vic Fangio of the Philadelphia Eagles, Brian Flores of the Minnesota Vikings, Vance Joseph of the Denver Broncos, Klint Kubiak of the Seahawks, and Josh McDaniels of the Patriots.
The Comeback Player of the Year finalists include Lawrence, McCaffrey, Stefon Diggs of the Patriots, Aidan Hutchinson of the Detroit Lions, and Dak Prescott from the Dallas Cowboys.
In the running for the Defensive Player of the Year, Will Anderson Jr. of the Texans recorded 12 sacks, playing a crucial role in the league”s top-ranked defense. Other finalists include Nik Bonitto from the Broncos, who notched 14 sacks, and Myles Garrett of the Browns, who set a single-season record with 23 sacks.
For the Offensive Player of the Year, finalists include Puka Nacua, Bijan Robinson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Maye, and McCaffrey. Nacua led the league with 129 receptions for 1,715 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Finally, the finalists for the Defensive Rookie of the Year include Abdul Carter of the Giants, Nick Emmanwori of the Seahawks, James Pearce Jr. from the Falcons, Carson Schwesinger of the Browns, and Xavier Watts from the Falcons. The Offensive Rookie of the Year finalists feature Jaxson Dart of the Giants, Emeka Egbuka of the Buccaneers, TreVeyon Henderson of the Patriots, Tetairoa McMillan from the Panthers, and Tyler Shough of the Saints.
