This past Saturday, the NFL held its 10th annual honors awards ceremony at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California. It was hosted by legendary TV star Steve Harvey. Due to COVID-19, the event was held virtually.

The first award given out was for Offensive Rookie of the Year. The winner was Los Angeles Chargers’ quarterback Justin Herbert. In 15 games, Herbert posted a rookie record of 31 passing touchdowns, 7.3 yards per attempt and a 98.3 passer rating. Many players and fans around the league believed that the award should have been given to Minnesota Vikings’ wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Jefferson finished the season with 88 receptions and set an NFL rookie record hauling in 1,400 receiving yards, breaking Anquan Boldin’s record of 1,377 yards, which stood for 16 years.

Washington Football Team’s defensive end, Chase Young, was awarded Defensive Rookie of the Year. This came as a surprise to no one, seeing as Young produced 7.5 sacks, recovered 3 fumbles and made 10 tackles for loss in just 15 games. 

Another Washington Football Team player was given an award. Quarterback Alex Smith was awarded comeback player of the year. In 2018, Smith suffered a gruesome leg injury that almost resulted in the amputation of his leg. Smith was told he would never be able to play football again. However, Smith never gave up and after a bunch of hard work and determination, Smith took over as the starter in week 10, two years after his injury, and led the Football Team to the playoffs.

For the third time in his career, Los Angeles Rams defensive end Aaron Donald was awarded the Defensive Player of the Year. Donald is undoubtedly one of the best players in the NFL and will look to continue his dominance next year.

It is not common for an NFL running back to be the biggest and most intimidating player on the team, but Tennessee Titans Running Back Derrick Henry makes it look easy. This year, Henry ran for 2,027 yards while rushing for 17 touchdowns. This dominating stat line resulted in Henry receiving the Offensive Player of the Year award. 

Cleveland Browns Head Coach Kevin Stefanski was awarded the Coach of the Year. In his first season as a head coach, Stefanski led the Browns to their first playoff berth in 18 years. And to cap it all off, the Browns dominated their division rival Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild card round of the playoffs. The Browns have a very bright future with Stefanski as their coach and will look to take a big step forward next season.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was awarded  Walter Payton Man of the Year for his tireless commitment to Seattle Children’s hospital, which began when he was a rookie. 

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was awarded the final and most important award: Most Valuable Player. This is Rodgers’ third MVP award, and it came to the surprise of no one, as Rodgers threw for 4,299 yards and 48 touchdowns. Rodgers dominated the league all year and brought the Packers all the way to the NFC Championship game. He will look to continue his dominance next season and lead his team to the Superbowl.