Lead: The 15th annual NFL Honors ceremony convened in San Francisco on Feb. 5, 2026, with host Jon Hamm presiding over the red carpet arrivals and the presentation of The Associated Press’ eight league awards. Nominees for the AP honors — selected by a nationwide panel of 50 media members and tabulated by the accounting firm Lutz and Carr — included five finalists for MVP and five finalists for Coach of the Year. The event precedes Super Bowl 60 at Levi’s Stadium and will be broadcast at 9 p.m. ET on NBC and NFL Network, with streaming via Peacock and NFL+. Winners were announced throughout the evening as athletes, coaches and personalities gathered for the league’s annual celebration.
Key Takeaways
- The AP hands out eight official NFL awards each year; voting was completed before the playoffs by a 50-member national media panel.
- MVP finalists are Christian McCaffrey, Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence, Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford — Maye led the league in passer rating (113.5) and completion percentage (72%).
- Coach of the Year finalists are Liam Coen, Ben Johnson, Mike Macdonald, Kyle Shanahan and Mike Vrabel.
- Assistant Coach of the Year was awarded to Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who received 17 of 50 first-place votes and finished with 249 points; runner-up Vance Joseph had 10 first-place votes and 176 points.
- Christian McCaffrey finished the regular season with 1,202 rushing yards and 10 rushing TDs, plus 102 catches for 924 yards and seven receiving TDs.
- Matthew Stafford led the NFL with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns; Drake Maye threw for 4,394 yards with 31 TDs and eight interceptions.
- The ceremony doubled as a cultural moment: host Jon Hamm reflected on Bad Bunny’s halftime headline and the broad spotlight Super Bowl week brings.
Background
The NFL Honors began as an annual awards show to recognize individual excellence across the league; the 2026 edition marks the ceremony’s 15th year. The Associated Press awards are widely regarded as the NFL’s principal media-determined honors and are decided by a panel of 50 journalists who cover the league nationally. Votes are collected and tabulated by an independent accounting firm, Lutz and Carr; results are announced at the Honors show prior to the Super Bowl.
Over time the Honors event has become a distinct cultural fixture during Super Bowl week, drawing not only players and coaches but entertainers and media figures for a red carpet spectacle. This year’s ceremony arrived as Super Bowl 60 week culminated in Santa Clara, where the Patriots and Seahawks prepared to face off at Levi’s Stadium. The event serves both to celebrate statistical, coaching and comeback achievements and to spotlight personalities whose seasons stood out outside of postseason success.
Main Event
Red carpet arrivals in San Francisco featured finalists and nominees from across the league. Photographers captured moments from Jeffery Simmons, Dion Dawkins and Kendrick Bourne to Puka Nacua — who walked the carpet with his mother — and Matthew Stafford arriving with family. Players used the spotlight to reflect on the season, their teams and what the nominations mean for them personally.
Onstage and in brief interviews, nominees described seasons that ranged from career peaks to franchise turnarounds. Christian McCaffrey described the year as an “emotional roller coaster” while emphasizing team pride; Matthew Stafford characterized an MVP award as a meaningful capstone to a long, productive career. Drake Maye credited his supporting cast for his breakout numbers that included leading the league in passer rating and completion rate.
The AP Assistant Coach of the Year award was announced midshow: Josh McDaniels earned the honor in his first season back with the Patriots, taking 17 first-place votes and 249 total points. Vote distributions for other awards were released in part; several first-place votes went to coordinators and position coaches around the league, underscoring how coaching staffs factored into voters’ thinking.
Analysis & Implications
The AP awards carry reputational weight: an MVP or Coach of the Year honor can change how a player or coach is viewed historically and can affect contract narratives, Hall of Fame conversations and offseason media coverage. For Matthew Stafford, an MVP would punctuate a long career of elite passing production; for a younger name like Drake Maye or Trevor Lawrence, an AP nod signals arrival in the league’s upper echelon and can shift franchise expectations.
Coaching honors matter beyond trophies. Candidates such as Liam Coen (13-4 turnaround in Jacksonville) and Mike Macdonald (14-3 regular-season Seahawks) showcased different models for success — rapid rebuild vs. defensive foundation — that teams may emulate in hiring and strategy decisions. Ben Johnson’s quick rise in Chicago underscores how offensive innovation and culture change can yield quick dividends, shaping future staffing trends across the league.
Statistical winners like Christian McCaffrey — a finalist in three AP categories this year — highlight the NFL’s increasing valuation of multi-dimensional skill players. That trend can influence roster construction and salary negotiations as teams prioritize versatility. Finally, the public nature of the Honors, broadcast during Super Bowl week, amplifies players’ marketability and cross-industry opportunities, from endorsements to media projects.
Comparison & Data
| Player | Passing Yards | Passing TDs | INTs | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake Maye | 4,394 | 31 | 8 | Led NFL in passer rating (113.5), 72% comp. |
| Matthew Stafford | 4,707 | 46 | 8 | Led league in passing yards. |
| Trevor Lawrence | 4,007 | 29 | 12 | First-time MVP finalist. |
| Josh Allen | 3,668 | 25 | 10 | Added 14 rushing TDs; 102.2 passer rating. |
The table compares key passing metrics for MVP finalists; Christian McCaffrey is shown elsewhere in the article due to his dual rushing/receiving role. Those primary numbers were central to voters’ evaluations, but context — team records, injury adversity, and leadership — also influenced selections.
Reactions & Quotes
“He was beautifully eloquent. … He’s a very intelligent guy. He’s a wonderful artist, number one streamed artist in the world for a reason.”
Jon Hamm, host — on Bad Bunny
Hamm used the platform to connect Super Bowl cultural moments to the Honors, praising Bad Bunny’s artistic achievements and noting the wider attention the halftime act brings to the week.
“I just try to be me, and sometimes that’s good enough, sometimes it’s not. But I try to learn from every person, every great coach that I’ve been around, and try to make it my own style.”
Mike Vrabel, Patriots head coach
Vrabel, a Coach of the Year finalist, framed his rapid team turnaround as the result of iterative learning and consistency rather than a single tactical innovation.
“This is, in all my years playing, the proudest I’ve ever been to be a part of a team.”
Christian McCaffrey, 49ers running back
McCaffrey emphasized team accomplishment amid an individually dominant season in which he was a finalist for multiple AP awards.
Unconfirmed
- The full vote breakdown for every AP category beyond the Assistant Coach award had not been released publicly at press time.
- No official confirmation was available on whether any winner tonight will also take home other major league honors announced separately by other organizations.
- Reports of offstage interactions or informal agreements among voters are unverified and have not been substantiated by primary sources.
Bottom Line
The 2026 NFL Honors functioned as both an awards night and a weeklong cultural showcase ahead of Super Bowl 60, spotlighting individual seasons that shaped narratives heading into the championship game. AP award winners and finalists will carry these distinctions into offseason conversations about contracts, legacies and Hall of Fame candidacies.
For franchises and personnel departments, the ceremony underscores what voters reward: statistical excellence blended with team impact and narrative significance. As fans shift focus to the Super Bowl itself, these acknowledgments will persist as reference points for how the 2025 regular season is remembered.