2022 NFL Honors — Who won the league’s biggest awards?

The NFL held its annual awards present, hosted by Keegan-Michael Key, on Thursday on the YouTube Theater on the SoFi Leisure District in Inglewood, California, proper by the positioning of Tremendous Bowl LVI. The Los Angeles Rams (12-5) will play the Cincinnati Bengals (10-7) at SoFit Stadium on Sunday (6:30 p.m. ET, NBC).

Together with MVP, the NFL’s Offensive and Defensive Gamers of the Yr, the Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Yr, the Coach of the Yr and the Comeback Participant of the Yr are additionally being named on Thursday evening.

Right here’s a take a look at who took house all of the awards and why:

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Defensive Participant of the Yr

T.J. Watt, OLB, Pittsburgh Steelers: Regardless of lacking two full video games and components of a number of others as a result of damage, Watt lastly captured his first DPOY award after capping off an historic season with 22.5 sacks, tying Michael Strahan’s 2002 single-season sack document within the closing regular-season sport. It was a record-setting yr from the start, when Watt turned the NFL’s highest-paid defensive participant mere days earlier than the season opener. He earned each penny as a game-wrecking go rusher, together with an enormous efficiency within the Steelers’ first assembly with the Baltimore Ravens, wherein he sacked quarterback Lamar Jackson 3.5 occasions and affected Jackson’s throw on the would-be, game-winning 2-point conversion. “He’s a sport changer and a sport wrecker,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger stated throughout the season. “To be a literal sport changer on protection is one thing fully particular, and he ought to be acknowledged. I don’t know who else is the Defensive Participant of the Yr aside from that man. I’m positive there are different candidates, I simply don’t know. However he ought to completely get MVP votes as nicely as a result of that’s what sort of a participant he’s.” — Brooke Pryor

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Offensive Rookie of the Yr

Ja’Marr Chase, WR, Cincinnati Bengals: This shouldn’t be a lot of a shock. When the Bengals drafted Chase with the fifth total decide, he stated he wished to interrupt all of Cincinnati’s group information. Positive sufficient, he turned in arguably probably the greatest season by a large receiver in franchise historical past. He set Cincinnati’s group document for many receiving yards in a single sport (266) and a single season (1,455), hauling in 81 receptions for an 18.0 yards per reception common. He turned the primary Bengals participant to have a number of 200-yard video games in the identical season and blasted by way of Justin Jefferson’s document for many receiving yards by a rookie within the Tremendous Bowl period. The previous LSU standout can be the primary rookie to have a number of 100-yard video games in a single postseason. Cincinnati wished an explosive playmaker when the entrance workplace drafted him over a number of the different choices, together with former Oregon deal with Penei Sewell. As an alternative, the Bengals acquired somebody who reworked their offense and lifted them to their first Tremendous Bowl in 33 years. — Ben Child

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Defensive Rookie of the Yr

Micah Parsons, LB, Dallas Cowboys: Parsons is the primary Cowboy to win defensive rookie of the yr after a season that noticed him set the group’s rookie document with 13 sacks, which was third most by a rookie since sacks turned an official stat in 1982. Parsons, the Cowboys’ first-round decide, was credited with 84 tackles (64 solo), three pressured fumbles and three go deflections. The group credited Parsons with 12 tackles for loss and 42 quarterback pressures, as nicely. He was a nightmare wherever he lined up. Of his 901 snaps credited to him by the group, he lined up as a linebacker 498 occasions and a defensive lineman 374 occasions. Due to his versatility, coordinator Dan Quinn was capable of create mismatches that helped the Cowboys go from permitting probably the most factors in franchise historical past (473) in 2020 to main the league in takeaways (34). Parsons was named to the Professional Bowl and have become the primary rookie defender in group historical past to be named a first-team All-Professional. In 2016, Dak Prescott was named the NFL’s offensive rookie of the yr. — Todd Archer