Admin January 1, 2025
Saquon Barkley on passing 2,000 yards, chasing NFL record
Saquon Barkley became the ninth player to go over 2,000 yards rushing in a season when he ran for 167 yards against the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 29, 2024.
We’re entering the final week of the 2024 NFL season. Some teams are making playoff preparations, other clubs are jostling for playoff seeding and others are planning vacations. No matter where your team stands, annual individual awards are still to be determined.
Who will win a competitive MVP race between Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Baltimore Ravens two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson and Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley? Is Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt the front runner for NFL Defensive Player of the Year? In the nation’s capital, is Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels the prohibitive favorite for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year?
Answers to some of the questions could be decided in Week 18. Before time runs out in the regular season, I made my picks for the end-of-the-year awards and explained why.
2024 NFL awards predictions
MVP
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
Jackson is having a better statistical season than his previous two MVP years. His superb year includes career-highs in passing yards (3,955), passing touchdowns (39) and passer rating (121.6). He has the No. 1 passer rating in the NFL. Furthermore, the dual-threat quarterback has rushed for 852 yards and four touchdowns. He’s fresh off becoming the NFL’s all-time rushing leader for a quarterback.
I understand Josh Allen has received plenty of consideration for the award. Although he’s guided the Bills to the AFC’s second-best record, Jackson’s numbers are superior.
Sometimes, voters across all sports grow tired of voting for the same player each season. This is a significant reason why Michael Jordan won only five MVP awards and LeBron James has only four MVP trophies in the NBA. If Allen wins the award, Jackson will become the latest victim of voter fatigue.
Offensive Player of the Year
Eagles RB Saquon Barkley
It’s been a seamless transition for Barkley in Philadelphia.
In his first season, Barkley already broke the Eagles’ franchise record in rushing yards. The NFL’s rushing leader is the ninth player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season. At 2,005 rushing yards on the year, he is just 101 away from surpassing Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson’s single-season record. He’s also produced an NFL-high in yards from scrimmage. He’s the third player in NFL history to have four rushing touchdowns of 60 yards or over.
If Barkley wins NFL Offensive Player of the Year, he’ll be the third running back in the past five years to win the award.
Defensive Player of the Year
Steelers OLB T.J. Watt
Watt’s made a game-changing play in practically every game the Steelers have won. He’s easily Pittsburgh’s most valuable player on defense. His 11.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss rank in the top five of the NFL. He has a league-high six forced fumbles.
Opposing offenses gameplan for Watt each week, but he’s always disruptive coming off the edge. Even when he doesn’t get to the quarterback, he’s one of the best at deflecting passes down, as he’s registered four pass deflections this year.
Broncos star CB Patrick Surtain II is another worthy candidate. The shutdown corner tallied four interceptions while only allowing a 59% completion percentage and a 55.6 opposing quarterback passer rating but the award should be Watt’s for the second time in his career.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
Daniels deserves to win the award unanimously.
The Commanders quarterback told USA TODAY Sports at the ESPY Awards that he wanted to help “shift the culture” on the Commanders. He’s impressively done just that in his inaugural season.
Daniels leads rookie quarterbacks in most major statistical categories. He set the NFL’s all-time record for rushing yards for a rookie quarterback (864 yards). He’s been the best and most consistent rookie QB this season. Most importantly, he’s led the Commanders into the postseason.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Rams OLB Jared Verse
The Rams used their top two 2024 draft picks on Verse and defensive lineman Braden Fiske to help fill the void left by future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald upfront. It’s nearly impossible to replace Donald, but both rookies have done a solid job and are in the defensive Rookie of the Year conversation.
Verse has become one of the Rams’ best defensive players in his first season. He registered the second-most pressures through a player’s first 16 career games with 72. Verse came into Week 17 as the only rookie to have multiple games with three or more quarterback hits this season and the first rookie to accomplish the feat since Micah Parsons in 2021. Parsons won the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year that season.
Comeback Player of the Year
Bengals QB Joe Burrow
Burrow would be in the MVP conversation if not for the Bengals’ 8-8 record.
Despite the Bengals’ place in the standings, Burrow paces the NFL in passing yards and touchdown passes. He’s tallied career-highs in passing yards (4,641) and touchdowns (42).
Burrow won NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 2021 after he returned from a season-ending knee injury. The Bengals franchise quarterback should be the front-runner to win the trophy again this year after bouncing back from a wrist injury that cut his 2023 short.
Coach of the Year
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell
You can’t go wrong with O’Connell or Dan Quinn; they’ve done fantastic jobs for their respective franchises. However, not many people outside Minnesota expected the Vikings to have 14 victories and a chance to win the NFC North entering the final week of the regular season.
O’Connell helped revitalize Sam Darnold’s career. The journeyman QB is enjoying career-highs in passing yards (4,153), touchdown passes (35) and passer rating (106.4). Minnesota has a top-five passing offense and a top-five scoring defense.
The Vikings franchise has only won 13 or more games in a single season four times since 1965.
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.
