Lead
In San Francisco, two days before the Super Bowl, veteran reporter Albert Breer published his NFL Honors ballot and awards rankings covering the 2024 regular season through Jan. 4. His most notable choices: Drake Maye as MVP and Matthew Stafford as first-team All‑Pro quarterback. Breer released full first- and second-team All‑Pro lists plus 1–5 votes for major awards and shared context for several roster and coaching developments. The disclosure follows broader public scrutiny about ballot transparency after recent Hall of Fame voting revelations.
Key Takeaways
- Breer named Matthew Stafford the first-team All‑Pro QB and placed Drake Maye at No. 1 on his MVP ballot; his MVP top five was Maye, Stafford, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert and Christian McCaffrey.
- First-team All‑Pro roster included 22 primary spots with notable selections such as Christian McCaffrey (RB), Bijan Robinson (All‑Purpose) and Trent Williams (LT).
- Second‑team All‑Pro featured Drake Maye as QB2 and James Cook as the RB2, with Kyle Pitts earning his first All‑Pro nod (second team).
- Breer submitted full 1–5 ballots for Coach (Liam Coen top), Defensive Player (Myles Garrett top), Offensive Player (McCaffrey top) and rookie awards (Carson Schwesinger top for defensive rookie, Tetairoa McMillan top for offensive rookie).
- Injury and personnel notes included Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori’s Thursday non‑practice after a Wednesday low‑ankle sprain; Breer reported the team expected him to play Sunday.
- Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz resigned, triggering a search with internal interviews and external interest reported, while other coaching-staff moves and candidate names circulated around the league.
- Breer confirmed his ballot reflects only regular‑season performance through Jan. 4 and explained his transparency approach after recent public debate over voting disclosure.
Background
Public scrutiny over secret ballots intensified after reporting showed Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft did not gain Hall of Fame entry and attention turned to who withheld votes. That controversy pushed discussion about whether voters should disclose ballots so the public can better understand selections. Breer says he believes in transparency and opted to publish his All‑Pro ballot and awards votes, consistent with his practice of seeking disclosure from subjects he covers.
The timing—two days before the Super Bowl in San Francisco—meant Breer framed his ballot as a regular‑season evaluation. He explicitly excluded any play after Jan. 4 from consideration, a common convention in award voting that separates postseason performance from regular‑season honors. Publishing ballots like this aims to let readers see the tradeoffs voters make when they balance individual achievement against team impact.
Main Event
Breer’s first‑team All‑Pro list named Matthew Stafford as the lone first‑team quarterback; the backfield and skill positions had recognizable names including Christian McCaffrey, Bijan Robinson (All‑Purpose), Jaxon Smith‑Njigba, Ja’Marr Chase and Puka Nacua among receivers. Linemen and front‑seven spots included veterans such as Trent Williams and playmakers like Myles Garrett, Will Anderson Jr. and Micah Parsons across edge and interior lines.
The second‑team ballot placed Drake Maye at QB2 and highlighted emerging contributors such as James Cook (RB2) and Jahmyr Gibbs (All‑Purpose). Kyle Pitts earned a second‑team nod at tight end, a notable career milestone. Breer also released special teams and positional backups, giving a comprehensive view of his assessments across roles.
Beyond team lists, Breer published his ranked votes for major awards: Maye over Stafford for MVP, Liam Coen as his Coach of the Year, Garrett as his Defensive Player of the Year, and McCaffrey leading offensive honors. He explained his rationale: Stafford represented the highest individual QB performance, while Maye’s candidacy was rooted in the degree he elevated an offense that was rebuilt around him.
Breer tied these selections to context: Maye took a team that won four games the previous season into contention with multiple new offensive starters, while Stafford produced elite individual metrics and late‑season form that, in Breer’s view, merited first‑team All‑Pro recognition.
Analysis & Implications
Publishing ballots contributes to accountability in award voting and invites deeper scrutiny of voters’ criteria. Breer’s dual judgment—Stafford as the best individual QB performance and Maye as the most valuable player to his team—illustrates a recurring tension in MVP debates between peak play and transformational impact. Publicizing ballots helps demystify how voters weigh those factors.
For players, where they land on All‑Pro lists and award ballots can influence reputation, contract negotiations and legacy narratives. A first‑team All‑Pro tag for Stafford reinforces his elite status in contemporaneous player evaluations; Maye’s MVP top slot boosts his national profile and sets a different trajectory for short‑term expectations and market valuation.
Coaching‑staff movement tied to Jim Schwartz’s resignation demonstrates how coordinator departures ripple across hiring markets. Teams pursuing experienced coordinators may reshuffle assistants or delay decisions, and candidates who remain with strong groups (like the Texans’ staff) may prefer continuity over short‑term promotions. That dynamic affects competitive balance and off‑season planning leaguewide.
Health updates—Nick Emmanwori’s ankle sprain, Drake Maye’s right shoulder and Sam Darnold’s oblique—underscore how marginal availability can shift game plans. Breer noted Seattle’s reliance on Emmanwori’s hybrid skill set; even a minor absence could change matchups and playcalling, particularly against teams that exploit personnel packages.
Comparison & Data
| Ballot / Spot | Breer’s Top Selections |
|---|---|
| MVP (1–5) | Drake Maye; Matthew Stafford; Josh Allen; Justin Herbert; Christian McCaffrey |
| First‑Team All‑Pro QB | Matthew Stafford |
| Second‑Team All‑Pro QB | Drake Maye |
| Coach of the Year (top) | Liam Coen |
This compact table highlights Breer’s clearest headline choices and how he separated individual peak performance from team value. The list illustrates his dual approach: honoring Stafford’s elite play while awarding Maye for the team‑level lift he provided.
Reactions & Quotes
“Yes, I did vote Stafford first‑team All‑Pro and Maye as MVP.”
Albert Breer
Breer made this admission to clarify that his MVP pick reflected team elevation while his All‑Pro QB pick emphasized individual execution. He framed both selections as defensible and consistent with differing award philosophies.
“He’ll play Sunday.”
Albert Breer (reporting on Nick Emmanwori)
Breer reported that Emmanwori, despite an ankle sprain and a missed Thursday practice, was expected to be active for the upcoming game—an update that directly affects Seattle’s defensive flexibility.
Unconfirmed
- Interest from the Raiders and other teams in Jim Schwartz has been reported but formal offers and outcomes remain unconfirmed. The Browns hold contractual rights that could affect final move timing.
- Speculation that Vic Fangio might retire after 2026 and create a destination for Schwartz is unverified and should be treated as conjecture until official statements appear.
- Reports suggesting definitive long‑term recovery timelines for Nick Emmanwori are premature; Breer noted he was expected to play but long‑term effects from the sprain were not detailed.
Bottom Line
Breer’s published ballot reinforces two recurring themes in award discourse: voters often separate highest individual performance from most consequential team impact, and transparency around ballots clarifies those tradeoffs. His choice—Stafford as first‑team All‑Pro for elite personal play and Maye as MVP for the broader team uplift—encapsulates that split.
Beyond awards, the itemized updates on injuries and coaching departures are immediate items to watch: Emmanwori’s availability could materially alter Seattle’s defensive matchups, while the coordinator market spurred by Schwartz’s resignation will reshape staff compositions across multiple teams. Readers should expect further confirmations and official releases as the league moves through the postseason and off‑season.