NFL Tri-Quarter Season 2025 Awards
Updated: Dec 4, 2025
We are officially (more than) three-quarters of the way through the 2025 NFL season. It is our last chance to (somewhat) prematurely hand out awards.
I have done articles handing out quarter-season and mid-season awards for 2025. This is our last one before the season ends. Once again, this is not a prediction of who will get the award, or who I believe will play the best down the final stretch of the season. Who has been the best (in my opinion) through 13 weeks of the season? And because we are so late in the season, I will only give an HM if I truly believe that player has a chance to win the award. No more HMs because I want to recognize a players performance, you have to legitimately be in the running. So let's get started!
MVP:
Drake Maye
3,412 yards, 23 TDs, 6 INTs, 72% cmp. 81 att, 319 yards, 2 TDs.
Drake Maye easily remains the MVP for me. I was getting concerned with how heavily Matthew Stafford was favored last week, so much so I was going to write a column on it. I can gush about Maye's QB ability all day, as I do in the QB rankings, but he simply provides the most value. He elevates his supporting cast, rather than feasting off of their ability, it's the other way around. It's not like the other 10 guys on New England's offense are bad, but they benefit from playing with Maye, which is rare. He has the Patriots with the most wins in the NFL and at the #1 seed in the AFC. A fun Drake Maye stat is that he had the highest completion percentage in the NFL while also throwing into the most "tight windows" in the NFL, per NextGenStats. A tight window is defined as less than 1 yard of separation between the receiver and defender. Maye also has the most passes completed over 10 air yards for over 200 yards more than the next best QB. He adds so much to the Patriots offense.
HMs to: Matthew Stafford - still a worthy candidate, he's playing at an All-Pro level. I just don't think he adds as much value to the Rams offense as Maye does to NE.
Patrick Mahomes - I legitimately think he could still win this. He is playing at such a high level on such a medicore team. It would take a herculean effort, but if Mahomes gets Kansas City to the playoffs, he would likely be a worthy candidate.
Dak Prescott - Dak lies lower due to team success, but he has a case similar to Stafford. Playing like an All-Pro on an elite offense.
OPOY:
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
82 rec, 1336 yards, 7 TDs. 6 att, 37 yards.
He may have fallen off his record breaking pace after a quiet Week 13, but let's be honest... who cares? Someone is always on pace for a record and falls short. It doesn't take away from Smith-Njigba's greatness.
Not only is he leading the NFL in receiving by over 200 yards, but he's been targeted just 111 times, which is 20 times less than the league leader. But this isn't because he doesn't get open. It's because Seattle sits at 31st in the NFL in passing attempts. JSN is having an incredibly productive season despite being on a run heavy offense. I love WRs who are productive with their targets, catches, and routes. JSN averages 16.3 yards per reception and 4.12 yard per route run, which is absurd(Sumer Sports). That's 0.73 yards more than 2nd place, and 1.52 yards above 3rd place. Ridiculous efficiency. He has a 90% catch rate on passes over 20 yards, which is over triple the league average(28%). That is absurd. You could almost have him in MVP talks, considering his offensive counterparts. He is carrying the Seahawk offense.
HMs to: Christian McCaffrey - I almost had him in MVP HMs, because he is the entire 49ers offense. Regardless, CMC is nearly on pace for 1100 rushing and 1100 receiving yards. He'd be the first to have 1000/1000 twice.
Jonathan Taylor - an elite season, but TDs can be overrated. Also see immaculate rushing lanes consistently. Still in the conversation, but outside of TDs, he doesn't stick out from a rushing standpoint.
DPOY:
Myles Garrett
49 tackles, 28 TFLs, 19.0 sacks, 30 QB hits, 3 FF. 32 hurries, 62 pressures
This man is absolutely ridiculous and his career 1000% deserves multiple DPOY awards, so I am glad that he will be entering this sacred realm. I got too cute with my mid-season awards, trying not to give it to Garrett. But he shreds every single OT he faces. His bag of moves is unlimited. Garrett possesses all the finesse of the EDGE rushers who weigh 245lbs but has the power of a 300lb DT. A physical freak, his presence and impact has the Browns defense nearly in the top 3 of every single metric. No matter what you look at, Cleveland's defense is top 3, and it's because of the 6'4, 275lb behemoth named Myles Garrett.
It's a shame because I can think of at least two other guys who are DPOY worthy, but at this point it would be disrespectful to Myles Garrett to even list them as HMs.
CPOY:
Dak Prescott
3,261 yards, 25 TDs, 8 INTs, 69% cmp. 41 att, 124 yards, 2 TDs.
There are multiple great candidates for this award, but I choose Rayne Dakota Prescott. He is playing at an elite level and his injury was kind of a gross one. Dak missed 9 games in 2024 due to a hamstring avulsion, which is when the hamstring tendon tears away from the bone. Like I mentioned earlier, Dak could be legitimately in MVP conversations. This is a great comeback worthy of an award.
HMs to: Christian McCaffrey - his "injury" could be considered less severe, with the mystery surrounding both his achilles and then a PCL sprain. But he's playing like an All-Pro after playing 4 games in 2024, definitely deserving.
Aidan Hutchinson - an absolutely brutal leg fracture and was back like is never happened. He hasn't been flawless, but I'd say he's at a Pro Bowl level after a devastating injury forced him to miss 12 games.
Daniel Jones - the typical "bounceback" season, rather than coming back from an injury. Still wouldn't be a bad selection, as Jones has played at a fairly high level this season.
OROY:
Tetairoa McMillan
57 rec, 826 yards, 6 TDs
A few worthy candidates here, but McMillan has established himself as a true WR1. In his last 6 games, TMac has 27 catches for 413 yards and 4 TDs, becoming the alpha WR for Bryce Young on a team pushing for the playoffs. He is everything Carolina could have asked when they drafted him. He has great body control, great wiggle on routes, is good after the catch, and has strong hands. He's had a couple drops, but otherwise is excellent.
HMs to: Tyler Warren - definitely still deserving, he's been a fantastic starting TE for the Colts and is debatably an All-Pro at TE.
Emeka Egbuka - cooled off from a slow start, but Egbuka has still been excellent, being thrown into the WR1 spot for Tampa. Fantastic instincts at the WR position.
Jaxson Dart - Dart has totally played himself into the OROY race, showing legitimate upside as a franchise QB.
Armand Membou - the Jets 1st round RT has been pretty fantastic right away. OL never wins this award, but for how good he's been in all facets, there's no reason Membou shouldn't be on a ballot.
DROY:
Carson Schwesinger
106 tackles, 10 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 2 PDs.
Carson Schwesinger has been the perfect pick for the Browns with Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah out of the season. He fills gaps in the run game as good as any LBer in the NFL at the moment. He has A+ instincts at middle linebacker and feasts behind the Browns defensive line. Not bad in coverage either for a rookie.
I legitimately don't see a worthy counterpart in his rookie class. Other solid players, but nobody on Schwesinger's level.
POY:
Penei Sewell
1 sacks, 1 penalty, 3 QB hits, 13 pressures.
Maybe my OL knowledge isn't up to snuff, but I can't think of a player more deserving than Sewell this season. The Lions OL has taken a step back this season, but running behind Sewell is never a bad solution. His ability to pick up blitzing defenders is top tier as well, and he may have taken on more responsibility playing next to a rookie RG this season.
COY:
Kyle Shanahan
9-4 record, 3rd place in NFC West, 7th seed in NFC, 4-1 in division.
I still refuse to place any other coach in this spot other than Shanahan. The 49ers have been most impacted by injury this season, with 206 games missed, the most in the NFL by 30 games. And the next 3 teams on the list have a combined record of 9-27. I am confident in saying no other coach in the NFL would have this team just .5 a game back of the 1 seed in the NFC. Not only is he the best playcaller in the NFL, but Shanahan has the 49ers playing at an incredible level. Maybe this is also a tribute to an Assistant Coach of the Year as well, which I am not putting in this article, but 49ers DC Robert Saleh's name will be in the hat.
HMs to: Ben Johnson - currently standing at the 1 seed, Johnson has ignited Chicago with life. The things he is manufacturing on offense are top tier, and his in game coaching is part of the reason the Bears are winning close games.
Mike Vrabel - another coach currently sitting at the 1 seed on a new team, Vrabel wasted no time having the Patriots culture return to top tier. Nobody anticipated this group playing at such a high level, and I have no doubts Vrabel's presence plays a major factor.
Shane Steichen - the Colts have taken a step back from their early season dominance, but Steichen has still done a masterful job. Again, not many people had Indianapolis playing at this level, in fact, most had Steichen losing his job after this season. He has elevated this team and offense in 2025.
Hopefully these three-quarter of the season awards are satisfactory to all readers. I appreciate you reading through the article, and let me know who I forgot to add!
Stay tuned for more NFL and 49ers articles, news, and opinions!
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