It’s awards night in the NFL.
The league is trading in shoulder pads and helmets for suits and ties as players, coaches and legends of the game are gathering in San Francisco for the 2026 NFL Honors ceremony. The MVP, major Associated Press awards and Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be revealed.
The show begins at 9 p.m. ET on NBC and NFL Network, with the red carpet starting at 8 p.m. ET on NFL Network.
Follow along below for live updates, reactions and award announcements from NFL Honors as they happen.
Full list of winners from NFL Honors 2026
Bobby Wagner honored with Walter Payton Man of the Year award
Washington Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year.
Wagner’s mother died when he was in college at Utah State and he’s honored her with the Phenia Mae Fund, which supports stroke awareness, education and patient care.
Wagner has been a national advocate for stroke awareness and patient support, expanding his impact in 2025 by helping fund pediatric stroke care and research at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. He has also invested in youth empowerment and education, using initiatives like his Tackle Everything Tech Tour to expose students to careers in technology and entrepreneurship.
Wagner, 35, finished fifth in the NFL with 162 tackles in 2025.
2026 NFL MVP votes
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Mattherw Stafford edged New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye in the closest MVP race ever.
Stafford finished with 24 first-place votes and 366 points. Maye had 23 first-place votes and 361 points. Josh Allen (91 points, two first-place votes), Christian McCaffrey (71 points, zero first-place votes) and Trevor Lawrence (49 points, zero first-palce votes) rounded out the top five. Justin Herbert received one first-place vote.
FIfty voters selected a top five for the award. First-place votes are worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes are worth 5, 3, 2 and 1, respectively.
Matthew Stafford wins AP Most Valuable Player
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was named NFL MVP after leading the league in passing yards and touchdowns.
Stafford completed 388 of 597 passes (65%) for 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns with eight interceptions.
Stafford, who will turn 38 years old on Saturday, announced he’s returning for 2026.
Here were the first-place votes:
Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba wins AP Offensive Player of the Year
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the AP Offensive Player of the Year after leading the league in receiving yards. Smith-Njigba finished with 119 receptions for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2025. He had nine games of at least 100 receiving yards.
Here were the first-place votes:
Browns’ Carson Schwesinger named AP Defensive Rookie of the Year
The Cleveland Browns have the Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive Rookie of the Year. Linebacker Carson Schwesinger was selected as the AP Defensive Rookie of the YEar.
The second-round pick was sixth in the league with 156 tackles and added 2.5 sacks and two interceptiosn in 16 games in 2025.
Here were the first-place votes:
Three win FedEx Air & Ground Player of the Year
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey and Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba were named the FedEx Air & Ground Players of the Year.
Christian McCaffrey presented Salute to Service Award by his dad
Christian McCaffrey won his second award of the night. The San Francisco 49ers running back was named the Salute to Service Award recipient. His father, former NFL wide receiver Ed McCaffrey, announced the award.
The award is given to a person who displays “exceptional efforts” to honor and support members of the military community. McCaffrey launched the 23 and Troops organization in 2021, focvusing on helping veterans heal from post-traumatic stress.
Five elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame
There will be five new members in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
WIde receiver Larry Fitzgerald, linebacker Luke Kuechly, kicker Adam Vinatieri, quarterback Drew Brees and running back Roger Craig make up the Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Craig enters in the Senior category.
Chicago Bears game-winning TD wins Moment of the Year
The Chicago Bears won the Next Gen Stats Moment of the Year for their comeback victory against the Green Bay Packers in Week 16.
Bears quarterback Caleb Williams’ 46-yard game-winning touchdown pass to D.J. Moore in overtime to defeat the Green Bay Packers 22-16.
Cardinals’ Buddha Baker wins Art Rooney Award
Arizona Cardinals’ safety Buddha Baker has been nominated for the Art Rooney Award for sportsmanship five times in the last six years. He finally won it.
Baker was named the winner of the award which recognizes on-field integrity, respect for the game and leadership.
The Cardinals are the second NFL team to have multiple Art Rooney Award winners. Larry Fitzgerald won the inaugural award in 2014.
Patriots’ Mike Vrabel named AP Coach of the Year
Mike Vrabel won the AP Coach of the Year award after his first season with the New England Patriots.
Vrabel helped turn New England from a 4-13 season in 2024 to a 13-4 record this year and a trip to the Super Bowl. He edged Jacksonville Jaguars’ first-year head coach Liam Coen.
Here were the first-place votes:
Christian McCaffrey named AP Comeback Player of the Year award
San Francosco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey only played in four games last year due to injuries. He played all 17 games in 2025, with 2,126 total yards and 17 touchdowns in 2025.
Here were the first-place votes:
Bears’ Joe Thuney wins inaugural Protector of the Year award
Chicago Bears guard Joe Thuney is the winner of the first Protector of the Year award.
Chicago acquired Thuney from the Kansas City Chiefs for a fourth-round pick last year. Thre three-time Super Bogwl champion has made the Pro Bowl in each of the last four seasons.
The award is dedicated to the best offensive lineman of the season based on skill metrics, impact, leadership, durability and strength of opponent. The voters for the 2025 season are former offensive linemen LeCharles Bentley, Jason Kelce, Shaun O’Hara, Orlando Pace, Will Shields and Andrew Whitworth.
Buffalo Bills’ offensive tackle Dion Dawkins was one of the proponents to establish an award for offensive linemen.
Tetairoa McMillan named AP Offensive Rookie of the Year
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan was selected as AP Offensive Rookie of the Year. McMillan, the No. 8 overall pick, recorded 70 receptions for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025.
The presenters were the mothers, wife, father-in-law and athletic trainer of the nominees.
Here were the first-place votes:
Myles Garrett wins AP Defensive Player of the Year award
Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan presented the first award of the night, AP Defensive Player of the Year. And he gave it to the man who broke his single-season sack record.
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett won the award after setting the league mark with 23 sacks in 2025. Garrett broke the previous record of 22.5, held by Strahan and T.J. Watt.
It was unanimous, with Garrett winning all 50 first-place votes. It’s Garrett’s second Defensive Player of the Year award.
Falcons’ Bijan Robinson is the DJ at NFL Honors
Host Jon Hamm opened with a monologue poking run at Aaron Rogers, Terry Bradshaw, Jerry Jones, the New York Jets and Bill Belichick not making the Hall of Fame.
Atlanta Falcons’ running back is the DJ for the event.
Patriots’ Josh McDaniels named AP Assistant Coach of the Year
Josh McDaniels will coach in his 10th Super Bowl this week. He was named the AP Assistant Coach of the Year for his work in the regular season.
The New Patriots Patriots offensive coordinator received 17 of 50 first place votes to finish ahead of Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. McDaniels, who won six total Super Bowls in his two stints with the Patriots, was the Las Vegas Raiders’ head coach from 2002-2023 before spending a year out of coaching. He returned to the Patriots in 2025 and New England was second in the NFL in scoring with 28.8 points per game.
McDaniels is not in attendance since New England is preparing for the Super Bowl and the league announced his award during the red carpet show. The rest of the awards will bge revaled live during the NFL Honors show.
Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer received one first-place vote in his final season before he retired last month.
Here were the first-place votes:
What time is NFL Honors tonight?
NFL Honors is from 9-11 p.m. ET.
When is NFL Honors?
NFL Honors is on Thursday, Feb. 5.
How to watch NFL Honors
NFL Honors 2026: Photos from the red carpet
Celebrities, influencers and former and current NFL players have begun arriving in the red carpet for NFL Honors. The official red carpet show airs at 8 p.m. ET on NFL Network.
Which awards will be announced at NFL Honors?
The year-end awards that will be announced are:
Full list of NFL Honors nominees and finalists
AP Most Valuable Player
AP Coach of the Year
AP Assistant Coach of the Year
AP Offensive Player of the Year
AP Defensive Player of the Year
AP Offensive Rookie of the Year
AP Defensive Rookie of the Year
AP Comeback Player of the Year
Protector of the Year
Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year
The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award honors a player who has had a significant positive impact on the community.
Salute to Service Award
FedEx Air and Ground Player of the Year
Deacon Jones Sack Leader Award
Cleveland Browns Myles Garrett broke a single-season NFL record with 23 sacks.
Jim Brown Rushing Yards Leader Award
Buffalo Bills running back James Cook led the league in rushing with 1,621 yards.
Art Rooney Award
Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026 will be revealed at NFL Honors. The NFL announced 15 modern-era finalists for the Class of 2026 in December:
Next Gen Stats Moment of the Year
WINNER: Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams’ 46-yard game-winning touchdown pass to D.J. Moore in overtime to defeat the Green Bay Packers 22-16 in Week 16.
NFL Fan of the Year
NFL FLAG Players of the Year
Female finalists
Male Finalists
Don Shula High School Coach of the Year
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: NFL Honors Awards 2026: Live updates, full list of winners, best moments
Reporting by Ryan Miller, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
