2026 Quarter Season NFL Awards
We are 4 weeks into the 2026-2027 NFL season, and even though we are a long way from the finish line, it can be a fun exercise to evaluate what’s happened so far this season. I’ll be evaluating what’s happened so far regarding player and coach performance and who I think is most deserving of each award. I will be operating by the norms of what the media favors in each award slot in recent history, so that means a quarterback will almost certainly be selected for MVP, and a skill position will almost certainly be selected for OPOY. There will also be honorable mentions. This is because it is extremely difficult to narrow down to selecting one player for each award because of how close these players are in performance, especially with only having just 4 games of information available so far.
Most Valuable Player: Bryce Young (Honorable Mentions: Dak Prescott, Brock Purdy)
Yes, that’s right, I have Bryce Young as my current league MVP. Young is currently leading the NFL in passing yards with 1268, is 3rd in the NFL with 9 touchdown passes, and has only thrown 2 interceptions, which is at the 7th lowest rate in the NFL among quarterbacks who have thrown 69 passes. But the box score isn’t the reason why I believe he’s the current MVP. The reason why I believe Bryce Young is the MVP is because I think he has uplifted his situation more than any other quarterback in the NFL so far. The Panthers pass rate over expected this season is at 5.9% above league average, which was more than double both of the other quarterbacks I considered. The Panthers overall have thrown the ball on 67% of their plays, and their run game despite being low volume has been underwhelming, currently placing 21st in EPA per rush and 17th in rush success rate. The Panthers offensive line hasn’t given Young many favors either, Young has been pressured on 47.2% of his drop-backs according to PFF, which is the highest among all 34 quarterbacks that have at least 47 drop-backs this season, despite only taking 2.86 seconds to throw per drop-back which is 14th among 26 quarterbacks with at least 113 drop-backs this season, landing him in the middle of the pack but still facing pressure more than any other quarterback in the NFL. Despite having very little support from his ground game, pass protection, and playcalling tendencies that put a lot pressure on his ability to execute, Young has brought the Panthers offense to 9th in EPA per play. At first glance that 9th place standing may not seem too impressive, but when you look at the other quarterbacks that are in the top 5 in pressure rate per drop-back and what their offenses have done, it becomes astounding. Justin Herbert and the Chargers offense are 31st in EPA per play, Drake Maye and the Patriots are 22nd in EPA per play, Malik Willis and the Dolphins are 30th in EPA per play and Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are 29th in EPA per play. That’s the kind of value Bryce Young has brought with his performance dealing with pressure, he’s prevented his offense from regressing to the abyss of the league. Young is 3rd in the NFL in total EPA and EPA per drop-back, averaging -0.02 EPA per play on his pressured drop-backs when the NFL average is around -0.35-0.45. That adds immense value, being able to tread water on pressured drop-backs when most of the league drowns is part of the reason why the Panthers offense has been good despite the woeful pass protection. Young has only had 1 turnover worthy play under pressure this season, at a 1.1% rate. That ranks 2nd in the NFL, and his 12% pressure to sack ratio is 6th in the NFL. When Young has actually been kept clean without pressure, he’s also been phenomenal. Young has 0 turnover worthy plays this season from a clean pocket, and is tied with Dak Prescott for being the 2nd highest graded quarterback from a clean pocket per PFF. The attributes that Young has that has led to his incredible performance so far this season won’t show up on a highlight reel but are the pillars of playing quarterback at the very highest level in the NFL. Moving efficiently through his progression, throwing the ball accurately, playing on time in the rhythm, making good decisions that prevent costly turnovers and keep the offense on schedule while not leaving any chunk plays on the board, knowing when to move up in the pocket and when to bail from the pocket, all while keeping his eyes downfield. Bryce’s ability to throw with anticipation has made it possible for him to be one of the most productive quarterbacks in the league as throwing over the middle of the field despite being only 5 '10, which has been a notorious issue for short quarterbacks like Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray, and Russell Wilson. That’s a Drew Brees’ like superpower Young has. Bryce’s mind is sharp, and that’s the magic behind his impressive performance behind not so ideal circumstances, being able to get good results out of an unfavorable situation is the definition of an MVP.
Offensive Player of the year: Bijan Robinson (Honorable Mention: Kenneth Walker III)
Bijan Robsinson has showcased an insane start to the 2026-2027 season, rushing for 123.5 yards per game, 4 rushing touchdowns, on 5.8 yards per carry. Bijan is also a productive receiver out of the backfield, having 14 receptions for 120 yards this season. Bijan is 2nd in scrimmage yards this season with 614, only behind Kenneth Walker who has 621. Kenneth Walker also averages more yards per carry as well. You may ask why I think Bijan deserves the nomination more than Bijan if Walker’s numbers are slightly better. The reason why I believe Bijan deserves it more is simply because their overall production is so close while Bijan has a much more unfavorable situation, making it a lot harder for him to produce but yet he still does. The Falcon’s offense so far this season has an expected pass rate 10% below league average, which would be in the bottom 10 among all offenses since 2016. The Falcons for their first 2 games had Cooper Rush and Jack Strand, quarterbacks that put out a -0.669 EPA per drop-back, which was by far the worst in the NFL through the first 2 weeks. Kenneth Walker is playing with a more than competent passing game that ranks 10th in EPA per drop-back, and an offense that has an expected pass rate 2.6% above league average. With both players' situations considered, I think Bijan has had a more impressive season so far, but only by the slightest of margins. The qualities that have made Bijan so special isn’t just a select few dominant traits like most stars in the NFL, he’s legitimately elite or close to elite in almost every skill a running back needs. Bijan has the most lethal jump cut in the league, and he’s the best running back in the league at identifying cut back lanes off outside zone runs, weaponizing his jump cut to the up-most effectiveness. Bijan also has elite contact balance, being able to create yards after contact better than any running back in the NFL, as he leads the NFL with 401 yards after contact. Bijan is also a threat as a receiver, not only being a great safety valve, but being a player with legitimate receiver skills that can line up wide and run routes. Bijan’s weakest trait is probably his long speed, but he’s still quite strong in that area, clocking in at 21.78 miles per hour on his 59 yard touchdown run against the Packers according to next gen stats, which is the 2nd fastest ball carrier speed in the NFL this season, 1st among all running backs. Bijan is as well rounded as it gets in today’s NFL, and with the season he’s currently having, he will soon be put in the same conversations with the all-time great all-around running backs.
Defensive Player of the year: Will Anderson Jr. (Honorable Mentions: Denzel Ward, Trent McDuffie, Fred Warner, Greg Rousseau)
With a very competitive pool of players that can get this selection, even among players I didn’t even include in the honorable mentions like Dallas Turner, I think Will Anderson Jr. has had the best performance on defense so far this season. Yes, the Texans are a struggling unit defensively, but I think their shortcomings have been a result of surprisingly underwhelming performance from their secondary this season paired alongside rigid playcalling, which is why Demeco Ryans has taken back the reins for defensive playcalling. Will Anderson Jr. individually has still been a monster that every offense has to account for on every snap. Will is 4th in the NFL in pressures with 25, 1st in the NFL in sacks with 7, 1st in the NFL with 5 sacks against true pass sets, and ranks 4th with 10 quick pressures (pressures that occur under 2.5 seconds). Will isn’t only a game wrecker as a pass rusher though, he’s also a world class run defender as well. Will has only missed 1 tackle in run defense, while registering 12 stops and a 16.4% stop%, both at the top of the NFL. What makes Will so great is being able to generate so much power at his smaller frame, which allows him to maintain gap integrity in run defense, utilize power-based moves as a pass rusher with success. You add that on top of his quick get-off and speed he has with his smaller frame, he creates issues in almost every phase of the game. He can knife through gaps as a run defender, torch tackles when he gets one on one pass rushing opportunities, be effective at pushing and collapsing the pocket as a contain rusher. Will Anderson Jr. has established that he is an elite edge defender in the NFL, and if he continues to produce the way he has, he can be very well on his way to earning his first defensive player of the year selection.
Protector of the year: Darnell Wright (Honorable Mentions: Tristan Wirfs, Trent Williams, Penei Sewell)
There’s a lot of ways you can go with this selection, especially within the offensive tackle group, but I went with Darnell Wright. Wright broke out last season, playing at a very high level as one of the elite run blocking tackles in the NFL. This season, he’s taken his play to another level, he has been playing like the best run blocking tackle in the NFL while being a rock in pass protection. Wright has a 93.3 run blocking grade according to PFF, no other tackle even has a 90 grade in that aspect so far this season. Wright is a true mauler in the run game, he can do everything schematically at a high level as a run blocker. He has the mobility to reach block on wide zone runs, to be used as a puller, to get out in space to block defensive backs on screens. He also has the strength and power to be devastating on double teams, backside cutoffs in zone, to create lots of displayment on his assignment. He’s the total package as a run blocker, the Bears have averaged 7.8 yards per carry this season on C and D gap runs to Wright’s side of the field this season. Wright provides more value than anyone in the run game while also only allowing 1 sack and 4 pressures the entire season in pass protection. Wright has been phenomenal in both phases, if he keeps this performance up, he’ll certainly not only make his first pro bowl, but his first all-pro team as well.
Comeback Player of the year: fred Warner (honorable Mention: Patrick Mahomes)
It’s 2026, and Fred Warner is still the best linebacker in the NFL even after a broken and dislocated ankle he suffered last season. He’s still a phenomenal run defender, he’s great at quickly diagnosing the run, the blocking scheme and playing his run fit, stacking and shedding blocks while being a secure tackler having a really low 6.5% missed tackle rate so far this season. Warner is also still the pinnacle of coverage play at linebacker. He’s the best there is when it comes to reading the quarterback’s eyes and body language and reading the passing concept, getting proper depth and being in the best position to rally to a pass completed underneath or close a throwing window and make plays on the ball. Warner this season has 3 pass break-ups, which is the most in the NFL among linebackers. Warner has allowed a 66.5 passer rating in coverage this season, which ranks 7th in the NFL among linebackers, extremely impressive without having an interception yet on the season. Warner is also one of the best linebackers in the league at cleaning up on the backside of plays, being tied for 1st in assisted tackles, and forcing 2 fumbles so far this season, which is 2nd in the NFL among linebackers only behind Nakobe Dean.
Offensive Rookie of the year: Denzel Boston (honorable mentions: Carnell Tate, Jeremiyah Love)
Denzel Boston has been a very pleasant surprise this season, being the most productive rookie receiver despite all the concerns with the Browns quarterback room and being the 7th wide receiver taken in this year’s draft class. Boston has 284 yards and 2 touchdowns which leads rookie receivers. What has made Boston productive in the NFL so far has been his ability to stretch the field, having 217 yards on targets at least 10 yards downfield this season. Boston is your classic huge X wide receiver, measuring in at 6’4 and weighing around 210 pounds. But despite his bigger frame, he’s a fluid athlete that isn’t nearly as clunky at moving laterally as a lot of guys at that frame are. He’s strong at going up vertically and making plays at the catch point, boxing out defensive backs which is what you’d expect a receiver of his size to do. Boston also has deceptive speed at size, when running vertical routes his long strides make up ground fast, making him an effective receiver on the vertical plane. Boston has the skillset you look for in a prototypical X wide receiver, and he’s someone who could be competing for pro bowl and all-pro selections in the future if Cleveland upgrades their quarterback room.
Defensive Rookie of the year: Arvell Reese (Honorable Mentions: Sonny styles, Jacob Rodriguez, Mansoor Delane)
Arvell Reese was the 2nd defender taken in this year’s draft class at 5th overall, and he has not disappointed. There were some questions from analysts about his ability to translate to the NFL because of his very unique role in Ohio State’s defense last season, being utilized as a blitzing linebacker that can also line up on the edge occasionally with very limited coverage responsibilities, rarely being tasked with playing with a lot of depth in coverage. In the NFL he still isn’t a very amazing great coverage player, but he is already showing that he is a premier run defender and pass rusher from the linebacker spot. He has unreal strength to maintain gap integrity and shed blocks to blow up plays, he’s also great at diagnosing the run direction and his run fit. Reese is also great fundamentally, having only a 3.1% missed tackle rate so far this season. Reese is also a great blitzer and has the ability to line up on the edge as a stand up 5 technique, he’s charted 3 pressures this season, one of those pressures resulting in a turnover. Reese has shown that he has the skills to be a versatile problem solver on defense in multiple different roles, in the mold of a player like Nick Bolton, but with even more potential.
Coach of the year: klint kubiak
I don’t think anyone expected the Raiders to have 3 wins through 4 games and give the Chiefs a very competitive game last Sunday. The Raiders came into this season with many question marks regarding their roster (their quarterback room, wide receiver room, defense as a whole) and they’ve won 4 of their 4 games, with an average margin of victory of 7.8 points, which is 3rd in the AFC. Kubiak has completely changed the Raiders offense with his play design and playcalling, maintaining a lot of his philosophy he had as the offensive coordinator in Seattle, building the passing game off of play-action. 27.5% of Kirk Cousins’ drop-backs have been off of play-action, which sits at 10th in the NFL among quarterbacks with at least 21 play-action drop-backs. That is very identical to Sam Darnold’s profile last season, having 27.6% of his drop-backs come off of play-action last season with Kubiak as the offensive coordinator in Seattle. Kubiak has also continued the trend of throwing the ball more often than expected relative to other down and distance situations in Vegas like he did in Seattle. Kubiak likes to do this out of heavier personnel with multiple tight ends, Vegas this season has run the 3rd most plays out of 12 personnel, which forces opposing defense to match Vegas with base defense personnel, which makes it easier to move the ball through the air playing against more linebackers than defensive backs. This has done wonders for superstar tight end Brock Bowers, who only averaged 56.7 yards per game last year, this new scheme that creates more favorable match-ups against base personnel for Bowers has him producing more than any tight end in the NFL on a per game basis. Bowers this season is averaging 101 yards per game and has 2 touchdowns through the 2 games he’s played. Kubiak has this Raiders offense at 11th in EPA per play this season so far, which is a massive improvement from where they were last season, when they were dead last in the NFL. Kubiak has shown to be an effective and proven offensively minded coach; the future looks bright in Vegas for the first time in a while.
Assistant Coach of the year: Brian Flores
Brian Flores has been one of the top class coordinators in the NFL over the past couple seasons. The Vikings defense is currently allowing -0.209 EPA per play, that’s 1st in the NFL by a very large margin. The margin between the Vikings defense and the Raiders defense that’s 2nd in EPA per play in EPA per play, is the same margin between the Raiders defense and the Bengals defense who rank 11th in EPA per play allowed on defense, which is insane. Flores may be the best defensive mind at scheming pressure, his heavy usage of attacking fronts, whether it being a 3-4 or 5-1, Flores likes to use odd fronts to occupy the center and mug the A gap with linebackers to confuse protection schemes, which creates free rushers that blow up passing plays before the quarterback can even process the coverage, and creates one on one opportunities for his edge players Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel against tight ends and running backs, resulting in quick pressures and disrupted timing for opposing offenses. Flores scheme also ensures the inability to run the ball against his defense, the Vikings are 2nd in rush EPA per play allowed and 1st in rush success rate allowed at 28.1%. Flores fronts not only disrupt pass protection, but end up out-gapping the offense on the ground, also creating favorable match-ups for Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel against 12 and 13 personnel looks, lining up against tight ends which usually leads to squeezed gaps and small gains on the ground. Flores’ scheme that has blitzed at a league high 67.9% has some vulnerabilities, which is lots of space in the middle of the field because of the extra rushers and playing a lot of 2 and 3 deep looks on the back end, but this mitigated heavily due to having Blake Cashman, a mike linebacker with a lot of range in coverage, and the pressure packages getting to the quarterback before he has time to hit receivers that come open over the middle of the field. The scheme Flores runs also prevents teams from getting explosive plays, running more cover 3 coverage than anyone in the NFL, the 3 deep defenders is a good structure at preventing offenses from bombing them over the top. Flores’ scheme is what aggressive defensive football looks like when executed at the highest level. This is his 3rd season in a row having success with this philosophy in Minnesota, last season they were 3rd in EPA per play allowed on defense, and in 2024 they were 2nd in EPA per play allowed. Flores this season has built on a strong resume as a defensive coordinator with Minnesota, further establishing himself as the best defensive coordinator in the NFL in my opinion.
