Aaron Rodgers – Most Valuable Player
- Current Contract: 4 years, $134,000,000
- 2020 Salary: $37,572,000
This is Rodgers’ third MVP award, the other two were in 2011 and 2014. The 37-year-old had a stellar season, throwing for over 70 percent of his passes for the first time, and had a monster 48:5 touchdown to interception ratio. Rodgers threw for 4,299 yards and 48 touchdowns, and brought the Packers to the playoffs with a 13-3 record. He led his club to the NFC Championship Game, where they were unfortunately defeated.
Aaron Donald – Defensive Player of the Year
- Current Contract: 6 years, $135,000,000
- 2020 Salary: $27,892,000
This is Donald’s third time winning the award in four seasons, and makes NFL history joining Lawrence Taylor and J.J. Watt as the only three-time DOPY winners. Donald was second in the league in 2020 in sacks with 13.5, and he had 45 total tackles. The 29-year-old also forced four fumbles, had 14 tackles for loss, and had 28 QB hits.
Derrick Henry – Offensive Player of the Year
- Current Contract: 4 years, $50,000,00
- 2020 Salary: $6,000,000
Henry was a beast this season, rushing for the fifth most yards in NFL history with 2,027. He also scored 17 rushing touchdowns, which led the league. This award is usually given out to quarterbacks, but there was no doubt that Henry deserved the award with his running out of the backfield. He opens up the entire offense with his abilities for the Titans, and will continue to do so in the future.
Justin Herbert – Offensive Rookie of the Year
- Current Contract: 4 years, $26,578,755
- 2020 Salary: $4,832,501
Herbert was the number six overall pick this season out of Oregon, where he took over for the Chargers for injured quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Herbert is solid, and his running ability pushes his game even further. The 22-year-old broke six rookie records: touchdown passes (31), total touchdowns (36), completions (396), 300-yard passing efforts (8), multi-touchdown passing games (10) and three-score days (6). Herbert also completed the season with 4,336 passing yards, 234 rushing yards, and five rushing touchdowns.
Chase Young – Defensive Rookie of the Year
- Current Contract: 4 years, $34,563,594
- 2020 Salary: $6,284,290
Young’s impact on the defensive side of the ball this year was game changing. Being paired with a defensive minded head coach in Ron Rivera helped his game, and it will continue moving forward. Young had four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries (one for a touchdown), 44 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and 10 tackles for loss.
Alex Smith – Comeback Player of the Year
- Current Contract: 4 years, $94,000,000
- 2020 Salary: $21,400,000
Well-deserved award for Smith, coming off a miraculous recovery from a 2018 compound leg fracture that ended up requiring 17 surgeries. Smith picked the team up when Dwayne Haskins was cut, and he finished Washington’s season with a 5-1 record and 66.7 completion percentage. Washington won the NFC East, and Smith was a huge part of that. The 36-year-old is uncertain whether or not he’ll return next season, but the team has signaled that they may go in another direction for a starter.
Kevin Stefanski – Coach of the Year
- Current Contract: 5 years, undisclosed financials
Although it was the 38-year-old’s rookie head coaching season, he led the Browns to a playoff birth, the first time since 2002. Stefanski’s offense was run beautifully throughout the season with Baker Mayfield, and his running offense featuring a two-back core. Cleveland finished fourth overall in rushing yards per game (145.2) behind Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, and Stefanski’s running schemes did more of the work then seen. Odell Beckham Jr. went down for season ending surgery early in the season, but it ultimately didn’t stop Cleveland from playing well. The Browns also defeated division rival Pittsburgh in the Wild Card round in the playoffs, before suffering a loss in the divisional round to Kansas City.
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Photos Courtesy of USA Today Sports & The Associated Press
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