Ravens' Lamar Jackson wins 2nd NFL MVP award by near-unanimous vote

Lamar Jackson was a near-unanimous choice for his second AP NFL Most Valuable Player award announced at NFL Honors on Thursday night.

Baltimore's All-Pro quarterback received 49 of 50 first-place votes from a nationwide panel of voters that includes media members who regularly cover the NFL, former players and coaches.

Jackson led the Ravens (14-5) to the NFL's best record in the regular season, but they lost to Kansas City in the AFC championship game. The 27-year-old Jackson is the fourth player to win his second MVP before turning 28, joining Patrick Mahomes (27), Brett Favre (27) and Jim Brown (22).

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey ran away with the AP Offensive Player of the Year award. Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett beat out T.J. Watt for AP Defensive Player of the Year. Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud won the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year award in a landslide. Defensive end Will Anderson Jr., Stroud's teammate, won the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award, outgaining both Jalen Carter and Kobie Turner by two first-place votes.

Flacco wins comeback player award

The Browns took home four awards. Quarterback Joe Flacco, who came off the couch to lead the Cleveland to the playoffs, won the AP Comeback Player of the Year. Kevin Stefanski edged Houston coach DeMeco Ryans for AP Coach of the Year honours by one first-place vote. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz won the AP Assistant Coach of the Year award after guiding the league's No. 1 ranked unit.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen got the other first-place vote and finished fifth overall in voting. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was second with 152 points. McCaffrey came in third with 147 points and teammate Brock Purdy was fourth with 97.

Jackson threw for 3,678 yards and 24 touchdowns and ran for 821 yards and five scores while leading Baltimore to a record 10 wins over teams that finished with a winning record. He helped the Ravens rout Houston in the divisional round but struggled in a 17-10 loss to Kansas City in the AFC title game.

McCaffrey, San Francisco's All-Pro running back, received 39 of 50 first-place votes for OPOY and earned 222 points, outpacing Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

Garrett, Cleveland's All-Pro edge rusher, received 23 first-place votes and 165 points to Watt's 19 first-place votes and 140 points for DPOY.

Anderson and Stroud are the fourth teammates to win the offensive and defensive rookie awards in the same season. Garrett Wilson and Sauce Gardner swept the awards last year for the New York Jets.

Flacco beat out Bills safety Damar Hamlin and Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield for the comeback award. He received 13 first-place votes, 26 second-place votes and eight thirds to finish with 151 points.

Hamlin returned to the NFL this season after collapsing on the field and needing to be resuscitated following a cardiac arrest on Jan. 2, 2023. He played in five regular-season games. Hamlin received 21 first-place votes but appeared on 42 of 50 ballots while Flacco was on 47. He got seven second-place votes and 14 thirds for 140 points.

Mayfield, who bounced around from the Browns to the Panthers to the Rams last season, started every game for Tampa Bay and led them to the second round of the playoffs. He got 10 first-place votes and finished with 93 points.

Flacco, the 39-year-old former Super Bowl MVP, was home in New Jersey with his family when Cleveland called him in November. He went 4-1 in five starts and passed for over 300 yards in four straight games with 13 touchdowns.

Others receiving first-place votes were: Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (4), Rams QB Matthew Stafford (1) and 49ers QB Brock Purdy (1).

Stefanski led the Browns to their third playoff appearance since 1999 despite losing quarterback Deshaun Watson, star running back Nick Chubb and right tackle Jack Conklin to season-ending injuries and starting five QBs.

Stefanski and Ryans both earned 165 points in a weighted point system. But Stefanski had 21 first-place votes to Ryans's 20. Stefanski had 18 second-place votes and six third-place votes. Ryans got 21 second-place votes and two thirds. Detroit's Dan Campbell finished third. He got three first-place votes. San Francisco's Kyle Shanahan (3), Baltimore's John Harbaugh (2) and the Rams' Sean McVay (1) also got first-place votes.

Schwartz received 25 first-place votes and finished with 160 points, easily outpacing Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.

Hill received seven first-place votes and finished with 139 points. Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb came in third with 45 points, including one first-place vote. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson got three first-place votes, finishing fourth.

McCaffrey, a unanimous choice for All-Pro, led the NFL with 1,459 yards rushing and had 14 rushing TDs for the NFC champion 49ers. He also had 564 yards receiving for seven scores.

Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons finished third for DPOY with 89 points, including seven first-place votes. Cornerback DaRon Bland, Parson's teammate, got the other first-place vote and came in fifth behind Raiders edge Maxx Crosby.

Watt, who won the award in 2021, led the NFL with 19 sacks. But Garrett had the better all-around season for the NFL's top-ranked defence.

Despite constant double-teams, Garrett had 14 sacks, 30 quarterback hits, 17 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles and forced offensive coordinators to avoid his side of the field.

Bland set an NFL record with five interception returns for a touchdown but was named on only six ballots. He got two second-place votes and three for third to go with the one first.

Stroud led the league in passing yards per game (273.9) and had the best touchdown-interception ratio at 4.6, becoming just the third player in NFL history to finish first in both categories, joining Joe Montana (1989) and Tom Brady (2007).

Nacua set a rookie record with 105 receptions and 1,486 yards receiving yards. Lions tight end Sam LaPorta finished third.

This was the second year of AP's weight point system. For MVP, first-place votes are worth 10 points, second-place votes are five points, third-place votes are three, fourth-place votes are two and fifth-place votes are one.

For all other awards, first-place votes are worth five points, second-place votes are three and third-place votes are one.

Heyward named Walter Payton Man of the Year

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Cam Heyward received the NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year award on Thursday night at NFL Honors.

Prince Harry introduced Heyward.

"Prince freakin' Harry," a stunned Heyward said.

This was the sixth time the Steelers nominated Heyward for the award. He created the Heyward House Foundation that supports several initiatives in the Pittsburgh area.

"I want to say thank you to the Pittsburgh Steelers for giving me this opportunity," Heyward said. "Mike T (Tomlin), it's an honour to be coached by you. I couldn't play for any other coach. To my teammates, I'm thankful to be your teammate."

The foundation also honours his father, Craig "Ironhead" Heyward, a fullback who played 11 seasons in the NFL. He died in 2006 at 39 of brain cancer.