Each year, I go division by division and nominate who I believe is each team’s candidate for the major NFL awards and then we discuss/declare who the division’s major award winner is for the season…and that player goes onto the divisional Final Four with a chance to go to the Super Bowl/Finals for a chance to be declared my seasonal award winner.
We go division-by-division each day, then to the Final Four for each conference, then the finals to name our winner the day the NFL announces their winners. *And my choices are usually different up and down the line in each category, so enjoy a different take on the NFL awards.
*Coach of the Year (any coach on the staff, not just the head coach)
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NFC South: 2025 Season Awards Tournament: Offensive Player of the Year
ATL: RB Bijan Robinson, ATL
CAR: WR Tetairoa McMillan, CAR
NO: QB Tyler Shough, NO
TB: LT Tristan Wirfs, TB
Tet wins for CAR by default...good numbers, but the attention he attracts from opponents lets you know what’s up here/how important he was.
Tyler Shough wins for NO because they started winning when he took over...they might have won the NFC South had Blough started Week 1 and they had half the injuries. They would have won the NFC South, period, if Jameis Winston was their QB for 17 games. FYI
Bijan was great...great stats, great amount of opportunity. I don’t want to confuse statistical accumulation for greatness...they may be correlated, but they can also not be.
Which is why I am giving this nod to: Tristan Wirfs. He was top 5 among tackles in both run and pass grade...top 3 overall grade among tackles.
And if you don’t think he is the winner of this group, then let me ask you...these 4 nominees, you’re the GM of an expansion team for Greenland starting up in 2026. In a special draft, you’re allowed to take one of these 4 guys to add to your empty roster. Who do you take? Mic drop. In that fake/cold scenario, Bijan would be #4 of 4...so what do I care about nice ‘accumulation’ for a season? I respect it -- but it’s not necessarily THE MOST value.
NFC South Winner = LT Tristan Wirfs, TB
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NFC South: 2025 Season Awards Tournament: Rookie of the Year
ATL: SAF Xavier Watts, ATL
CAR: WR Tetairoa McMillan, CAR
NO: QB Tyler Shough, NO
TB: WR Emeka Egbuka, TB
What’s shocking to me, when I look at this list, is Emeka was once the OBVIOUS OROY...and now is my #4 choice here.
It’s tight between the other 3.
I’m going with Shough because he got to start midseason, for a bad team with a ton of injuries hitting them, and he went (5-4) as a starter and (4-1) his final 5 games with 5 TDs/1 INT)...doing so with seemingly half the team out missing with injuries.
Watts and Tet were also great. I’d likely lean Watts over Tet, as far as impact, etc. I know Tet is a better overall talent...but blame Bryce for not taking him to his potential stardom this season.
As a consolation, Watts probably could be the Defensive Rookie of the Year, for us, over Carson Schwesinger and teammate James Pearce. It’s a Schwesinger-Watts debate with Emmanwori.
NFC South Winner = QB Tyler Shough, NO
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NFC South: 2025 Season Awards Tournament: Defensive Player of the Year
ATL: SAF Xavier Watts, ATL
CAR: CB Jaycee Horn, CAR
NO: EDGE Chase Young, NO
TB: CB Jamel Dean, TB
Nice seasons for Watts and Young, Young’s best NFL season by far, but when all the candidates are qualified you know I will go against a SAF and EDGE every time...they pale in comparison in importance to great cover guys...and Horn and Dean had two of the best CB seasons in the league.
It is very close trying to decide between them, so I will give the nod to Horn on the fact that he played in more games (16-14).
I still say...had Jaycee not gotten a concussion 4th-quarter of the wild card playoff...the Panthers advance not the Rams.
NFC South Winner = CB Jaycee Horn, CAR
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NFC South: 2025 Season Awards Tournament: Coach of the Year
ATL: D-C Jeff Ulbrich, ATL
CAR: HC Dave Canales, CAR
NO: HC Kellen Moore, NO
TB: none
It’s really about Canales vs. Moore, in which case it has to go to Canales. Getting this Carolina team subtly rebuilt and overcoming all their OL injuries...and overcoming Bryce Young to win the division -- it’s stunning, really.
NFC South Winner = HC Dave Canales, CAR
