If you care about the NFL 2025 Awards, you want picks that are backed by numbers and not warmed over hype. This is that. Every section hits the stat that matters and the reason I am putting each name on top. If you want hot takes, scroll somewhere else. If you want the clearest bets for the NFL 2025 Awards, keep reading.

MVP, Joe Burrow

For MVP in the NFL 2025 Awards I am taking Joe Burrow. He threw for 4,918 yards, 43 touchdowns and finished with a 108.5 passer rating over 17 games in 2024. He protected the ball with just nine interceptions. Those numbers are not fluky. Burrow controls drives, converts in the red zone and turns schematic advantage into points against good defenses. The Bengals’ roster is intact enough that Burrow will get the volume and efficiency voters reward. If you are mapping MVP odds for the NFL 2025 Awards, Burrow is the safest long shot to cash.

Offensive Player of the Year, Ja’Marr Chase

Ja’Marr Chase is my OPOY pick for the NFL 2025 Awards because the production is undeniable. Chase finished 2024 with 127 catches, 1,708 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns. He wins contested catches and turns short throws into explosive gains. When defenses game-plan for Burrow, they still have to respect Chase. Volume plus efficiency equals the kind of offensive impact that wins awards. For the NFL 2025 Awards, Chase is the player who forces defensive schematics to change.

Defensive Player of the Year, Aidan Hutchinson

For DPOY in my NFL 2025 Awards ballot I have Aidan Hutchinson. He had 7.5 sacks in only five games before an injury in 2024, which on a per-game basis was elite. Hutchinson collapses pockets, sets the edge and forces offenses to chip and reroute. Health is the variable, but if he returns to form he will be the disruptive force that shifts game plans and turns close games into wins. That kind of weekly disruption is exactly what wins the Defensive Player of the Year vote in the NFL 2025 Awards.

Protector of the Year, Joe Alt

For Protector of the Year on my NFL 2025 Awards list I am giving the nod to Joe Alt. He stepped into a pro line and brought consistent pass sets and reliable availability. Protecting a quarterback is boring until it is not. Alt reduces sacks and gives time for plays to develop. In seasons where a tackle stabilizes a shaky line, that player is often the unsung difference in wins. For the NFL 2025 Awards, Alt is the trench guy who matters.

Offensive Rookie of the Year, Ashton Jeanty

Ashton Jeanty is my pick for Offensive Rookie of the Year for the NFL 2025 Awards because he brings proven college workload and NFL-ready traits. He left college with over 2,600 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns. Jeanty has vision, contact balance and the burst to hit the second level. Teams that need a reliable early down back and a short yardage finisher will lean on him. Rookie seasons are won by opportunity plus production. Jeanty checks both boxes for the NFL 2025 Awards.

Defensive Rookie of the Year, Abdul Carter

Abdul Carter takes my Defensive Rookie of the Year slot for the NFL 2025 Awards. He finished his final college season with double-digit sacks and a high tackles for loss number. Carter has the first step and the instincts to pressure the quarterback from day one. If the Giants give him consistent snaps in obvious rush packages, he will be the rookie defensive player that forces game-plan adjustments by midseason. That kind of immediate impact wins votes in the NFL 2025 Awards.

Comeback Player of the Year, Aidan Hutchinson

I am doubling down and naming Aidan Hutchinson my Comeback Player of the Year for the NFL 2025 Awards. Comeback is not about sympathy. It is about measurable return to impact. Hutchinson was producing at an elite per-game clip before injury. A full return flips Detroit’s defense from missed opportunity to matchup problem. That swing is exactly the kind of comeback voters reward in the NFL 2025 Awards.

Coach of the Year, Mike Vrabel

Mike Vrabel is my Coach of the Year for the NFL 2025 Awards. He has a track record of getting overperformance out of rosters and locking teams into effective schemes. If the Patriots outperform preseason expectations, Vrabel is the coach who turns talent into wins and walks away with COY votes when voters grade by overachievement. That is the metric voters use when deciding Coach of the Year in the NFL 2025 Awards.

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