As the NFL world waits for Super Bowl LIX to commence on Feb. 9 (6:30 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app), “The NFL on FOX Podcast” conducted voting to determine who should claim several prestigious awards for the 2024 season.
Here are the results:
MVP: Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley
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Barkley was exceptional in his first season with the Eagles. In the regular season, he rushed for an NFL-high 2,005 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns on a career-high 5.8 yards per carry. A three-time Pro Bowler, Barkley became just the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season. He then rushed for a combined 442 yards and five touchdowns on 6.7 yards per carry in Philadelphia’s first three playoff games, with three of those rushing scores going for at least 60 yards.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
Daniels had a sensational rookie season. He totaled 3,568 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions and a 100.1 passer rating, while completing 69.0% of his passes in the regular season. He also rushed for 891 yards and six touchdowns. Daniels then led Washington to the NFC Championship Game. In the postseason, he totaled 822 passing yards, 135 rushing yards, five passing touchdowns, one interception and a 97.9 passer rating, while completing 65.8% of his passes.
Comeback Player of the Year: Minnesota Vikings QB Sam Darnold
Darnold, who spent the first six seasons of his NFL career on three different teams, and the Vikings took a chance on each other with a one-year deal. They proceeded to put together a 14-3 season. Granted, Minnesota was eliminated in the wild-card round, but it was still a standout season for Darnold. He totaled 4,319 passing yards, 35 passing touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 102.5 passer rating, while completing 66.2% of his passes in the regular season. Darnold’s passing yards, touchdowns, passer rating and completion percentage were all career bests.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Los Angeles Rams LB Jared Verse
Verse made an impact in a variety of ways for the Rams this season, totaling 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two passes defended and 66 combined tackles in the regular season. Moreover, Verse ranked ninth among linebackers in pass rush grade (83.7) and overall grade (86.2) and 11th in run defense grade (78.4), per Pro Football Focus. Then, in the postseason, Verse had a 57-yard scoop-and-score against the Vikings in the wild-card round and two sacks against the Eagles in the divisional round.
Offensive Player of the Year: Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley
Didn’t we just mention him? Yes, Barkley took home this award, too. Staying on the record front, Barkley rushed for 255 yards in a Week 12 win over the Rams, good for the ninth-most rushing yards in a regular-season game in NFL history. Barkley then rushed for 205 yards against the Rams in the divisional round, good for the fifth-most rushing yards in a postseason game in league history.
Defensive Player of the Year: Denver Broncos CB Pat Surtain II
A season that saw the Broncos make the playoffs for the first time in nine years saw Surtain, a two-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler, have arguably his best season. Surtain tied a career-high with four interceptions, which he ran back for an NFL-high 132 yards and one touchdown. He also had one forced fumble and one fumble recovery, while racking up 45 combined tackles. Surtain was second among cornerbacks in overall grade (85.6), third in coverage grade (87.4) and 15th in run defense grade (80.5), according to PFF.
Coach of the Year: Washington Commanders HC Dan Quinn
Last season, the Commanders went 4-13 and were tied for the second-worst record in the NFL. In their first season under Quinn (2024), Washington went 12-5, won a playoff game for the first time in 19 years and reached the NFC title game for the first time in 33 years. Furthermore, Washington’s defense surrendered the most total yards (388.9 per game) and points (30.5 per game) in the NFL last season. This season, the Commanders were 13th in total yards surrendered (327.9 per game) and 18th in points surrendered (23.0 per game). A turnaround well done for Quinn.
Viral Player of the Year: Cleveland Browns QB Jameis Winston
Winston is himself, and the NFL world is just fine with that. While the Browns had a rough, 3-14 season, Winston helped them get wins over the NFC North-rival Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. Right before taking the field for those two games, Winston provided a pair of viral moments that included him repeating the message “unwavering faith, ultimate belief” and that “the horse is prepared for battle.” Catch Winston in New Orleans next week, as he serves as a digital correspondent for FOX Sports throughout Super Bowl week.
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