We are almost there. The Super Bowl is just around the corner, and another season will be in the books. As we eagerly await the big show, the league announced the finalists for the 2022 NFL season awards.
It has been another incredible football season. With surprise teams and shock wins and losses, fans have been treated to some amazing stories this year. But as you get ready to bet on Super Bowl online, let’s take a moment to think back to the regular season and predict who might be picking up the honors this year.
NFL MVP
There was a feeling that Josh Allen would run away with the MVP and the Super Bowl this year. But now we know that won’t be the case – and we’re not sure that he will even pick up the personal honor. Patrick Mahomes led the Chiefs to the best record in the league, so he must be in with a good chance.
Joe Burrow may have something to say about that, but we think that the award could go to the Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Hurts. He has been incredible this year and could end up claiming this and a Super Bowl ring. Justin Jefferson is the only non-QB finalist but has to be an outside shot.
Coach of the Year
This is a much more interesting award this year, in our opinion. The three finalists are New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll, Jacksonville’s Doug Pederson, and the 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan. None of these three would have been expecting this at the start of the season – but can all state a good case for winning.
Daboll and Pederson both led teams that turned their seasons around and booked surprise postseason slots. But Shanahan coached his team to the second seed in the conference, winning the NFC West – and all after his first two QBs were injured. We’re going with the 49ers here.
Offensive Player of the Year
Three of the finalists for this award are also going for the MVP. Justin Jefferson, Patrick Mahomes, and Jalen Hurts will probably not double up though. Tyreek Hills is the other name on the list after he did so well in his first season in Miami. If Mahomes grabs the MVP award, this one could go to Jefferson or Hurts.
Most of the money will be on a QB to win, but we think that Justin Jefferson’s achievements for the Vikings merit him going close, at least. He was, for many, the most exciting offensive player in the league this year and almost took Minnesota to the postseason on his own.
Defensive Player of the Year
Chris Jones may have had the best season of his career and scared opposing quarterbacks to death for the Chiefs this year. But the defensive player of the year award has been a battle between just two players this season – Nick Bosa of the 49ers and Micah Parsons of the Cowboys.
Parsons played in a number of positions on the Dallas D-Line and can feel confident. But we just can’t look past the achievements of Bosa here. With 18.5 regular season sacks, he was well ahead of the competition and is another big reason why San Francisco has done so well.
Comeback Player of the Year
This is probably the most heartwarming NFL award of the year, and we wish that all three finalists could win. Saqoun Barkley and Christian McCaffrey came back from serious injuries to excel for their teams this season – and made sure that they would do a good job in the playoffs.
The other finalist is Seattle QB, Geno Smith. After Russell Wilson left for Denver, he took over for the Seahawks and became a starter after 10 years of trying. Getting selected for the Pro Bowl and making the playoffs is enough to get our vote as the Comeback Player of the Year.
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