Here’s the quick scoop on who won the big NFL awards last night at NFL Honors 2026.

Main award winners

  • NFL MVP: Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams
  • Offensive Player of the Year: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks
  • Defensive Player of the Year: Myles Garrett, DE, Cleveland Browns
  • Offensive Rookie of the Year: Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers
  • Defensive Rookie of the Year: Carson Schwesinger, LB, Cleveland Browns
  • Comeback Player of the Year: Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
  • Protector of the Year: Joe Thuney, G, Chicago Bears
  • Coach of the Year: Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots
  • Assistant Coach of the Year: Josh McDaniels, New England Patriots
  • Walter Payton Man of the Year: Bobby Wagner, Washington Commanders

Quick context: why this is a big deal

  • Stafford edged out Drake Maye in one of the closest MVP votes in over two decades, making this the first MVP of his career and capping a season where he led the league in passing yards and touchdowns.
  • Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s OPOY came after leading the NFL in receiving yards and helping power Seattle’s offense all the way to the Super Bowl run.
  • The Browns had a huge night: Myles Garrett took DPOY, and rookie LB Carson Schwesinger grabbed DROY after a massive tackle season that anchored their defense.

Hall of Fame & moments from the show

Alongside the season awards, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 was announced: Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly, Adam Vinatieri, Drew Brees and Roger Craig were selected, adding some all-time greats at wide receiver, linebacker, kicker, and quarterback to Canton.

The show also featured a “Best Moment” award, which went to a Caleb Williams to D.J. Moore play, highlighting the Bears’ exciting future with their young quarterback–receiver duo.

Simple HTML table of the winners

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Award Winner Team
NFL MVP Matthew Stafford Los Angeles Rams
Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba Seattle Seahawks
Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett Cleveland Browns
Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan Carolina Panthers
Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger Cleveland Browns
Comeback Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey San Francisco 49ers
Protector of the Year Joe Thuney Chicago Bears
Coach of the Year Mike Vrabel New England Patriots
Assistant Coach of the Year Josh McDaniels New England Patriots
Walter Payton Man of the Year Bobby Wagner Washington Commanders
**TL;DR:** Matthew Stafford took MVP, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Myles Garrett headlined the player awards, the Browns and Patriots cleaned up multiple honors, and a star-studded Hall of Fame class was announced.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.