The 15th annual NFL Honors kicks off Thursday, Feb. 5 at 9 p.m. ET from the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, airing live on NBC, NFL Network, Peacock and NFL+. The red carpet pre-show, presented by Invisalign, begins at 8 p.m. ET exclusively on NFL Network. Jon Hamm hosts the two-hour ceremony, which lands three days before Super Bowl 60 between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium.
The viewing options are straightforward. NBC is free with an antenna. Peacock streams the ceremony starting at $7.99 per month. NFL+ carries it for $6.99 per month on mobile or $14.99 for all devices. YouTube TV ($82.99/month) and Hulu + Live TV ($89.99/month) both include NBC and NFL Network access.
NFL Honors 2026 Award Finalists and the Races Worth Watching
The headline race is MVP, and it’s tighter than most outlets are letting on. Matthew Stafford threw for 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns for the Rams and earned first-team All-Pro honors. But Drake Maye led the NFL in completion percentage (72%), yards per attempt (8.9), passer rating (113.5) and expected points added per dropback (0.28). Last year, Josh Allen won MVP over first-team All-Pro Lamar Jackson, so the precedent exists for voters to split from the All-Pro selection. Allen is also a finalist, alongside Trevor Lawrence and Christian McCaffrey.
Defensive Player of the Year is as close to a lock as these things get. Myles Garrett set the single-season sack record with 23, turning a modest start through six games into a historically dominant second half. Will Anderson Jr., Nik Bonitto, Aidan Hutchinson and Micah Parsons round out the field, but this is Garrett’s award to lose.
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The Offensive Player of the Year category features a genuine three-way argument. Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the NFL in receiving yards (1,793) and posted 16 games with at least 70 receiving yards, tying a single-season record. Puka Nacua led the league in receptions (129) and receiving yards per game (107.2). McCaffrey topped all players in touches (413) and finished second in yards from scrimmage.
Here are the full finalists across all categories:
- MVP: Josh Allen (Bills), Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars), Drake Maye (Patriots), Christian McCaffrey (49ers), Matthew Stafford (Rams)
- Offensive Player of the Year: Drake Maye (Patriots), Christian McCaffrey (49ers), Puka Nacua (Rams), Bijan Robinson (Falcons), Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seahawks)
- Defensive Player of the Year: Will Anderson Jr. (Texans), Nik Bonitto (Broncos), Myles Garrett (Browns), Aidan Hutchinson (Lions), Micah Parsons (Packers)
- Offensive Rookie of the Year: Jaxson Dart (Giants), Emeka Egbuka (Buccaneers), TreVeyon Henderson (Patriots), Tetairoa McMillan (Panthers), Tyler Shough (Saints)
- Defensive Rookie of the Year: Abdul Carter (Giants), Nick Emmanwori (Seahawks), James Pearce Jr. (Falcons), Carson Schwesinger (Browns), Xavier Watts (Falcons)
- Comeback Player of the Year: Stefon Diggs (Patriots), Aidan Hutchinson (Lions), Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars), Christian McCaffrey (49ers), Dak Prescott (Cowboys)
- Coach of the Year: Liam Coen (Jaguars), Ben Johnson (Bears), Mike Macdonald (Seahawks), Kyle Shanahan (49ers), Mike Vrabel (Patriots)
- Assistant Coach of the Year: Vic Fangio (Eagles), Brian Flores (Vikings), Vance Joseph (Broncos), Klint Kubiak (Seahawks), Josh McDaniels (Patriots)
- Protector of the Year (Inaugural): Garett Bolles (Broncos), Aaron Brewer (Dolphins), Creed Humphrey (Chiefs), Quinn Meinerz (Broncos), Penei Sewell (Lions), Joe Thuney (Bears)
The Patriots own the evening in terms of nomination volume. Maye is a finalist for both MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. TreVeyon Henderson is up for Offensive Rookie of the Year. Stefon Diggs is in the Comeback Player mix. Vrabel is the Coach of the Year favorite after leading New England to the Super Bowl one year removed from a 13-loss season, the first team in league history to make that jump. Josh McDaniels rounds out the Patriots’ presence in the Assistant Coach category.
