Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen named NFL’s Most Valuable Player

Josh Allen wanted to leave New Orleans with different hardware. Still, he’s happy to be recognized for his accomplishments. Allen edged two-time winner Lamar Jackson for the AP NFL Most Valuable Player award in the closest race since Matt Ryan beat out Tom Brady in 2016. “I wish we weren’t hoisting this trophy. I wish we were hoisting the Lombardi – and we’re going to keep working until we do,” Allen said Thursday, referring to winning a Super Bowl.

Allen, who led Buffalo to a fifth straight AFC East title, got 27 first-place votes to Jackson’s 23 and finished with 383 points. He received 22 second-place votes and one third. The Bills fell short of playing on Sunday, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC title game. Jackson, who led the Ravens to a second straight AFC North championship, got 26 second-place votes and one fourth for a total of 362 points.

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley finished third (120 points) followed by Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (82) and Lions QB Jared Goff (47). Allen threw for 3,731 yards, 28 TDs and had six picks for a 101.4 passer rating. He ran for 531 yards and 12 scores, becoming the first player in NFL history to have five consecutive seasons with at least 40 total touchdowns. “I feel like my teammates wanted this more for me than I did, but I’m very honored,” said Allen, who was joined at the awards by fiancée Hailee Steinfeld.

Jackson had career-highs with 4,172 yards passing, 41 TDs to just four interceptions and a 119.6 passer rating, which led the NFL. He got 30 first-place votes to Allen’s 18 to earn AP first-team All-Pro honors. The last time a first-team All-Pro didn’t win the NFL MVP award was 1987. John Elway was the MVP that season and Joe Montana was first-team All-Pro. The MVP award is given to a player who had the most valuable season while All-Pro is a statistical recognition.

Kevin O’Connell beat out Dan Campbell for AP NFL Coach of the Year after leading the Minnesota Vikings to 14 wins with quarterback Sam Darnold. The Vikings, widely picked to finish last in the NFC North, ended up playing for a division title and the conference’s No. 1 seed in the final game of the regular season. They lost to the Lions and then were knocked out of the playoffs by the Rams. “I put a lot of thought into this season. I thought it had a chance to be a special team,” said O’Connell, who was presented by Bill Belichick, the coach who drafted him in the third round in 2008. “It really wasn’t about that. It was more my belief in our organization and my belief in our coaches and our players to come together and just try to win one football game.

“It’s a great example of unique people and unique things being able to come together and find a way to try to have unique results.”. O’Connell got 25 first-place votes, 18 seconds and seven thirds, appearing on all 50 ballots. Campbell, who guided Detroit to a franchise-record 15 wins, got 19 first-place votes to finish second. Kansas City’s Andy Reid (4), Denver’s Sean Payton (1) and Washington’s Dan Quinn (1) also received first-place votes.

Joe Burrow took the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year award after returning from wrist surgery in 2023 to lead the NFL with 4,918 yards passing and 43 touchdown passes. Burrow played all 17 games for the Bengals (9-8) after missing seven due to injuries the previous season. He received 31 first-place votes and finished far ahead of Chargers running back JK Dobbins (3). Vikings QB Sam Darnold (8), Bills safety Damar Hamlin (3) and Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (2) also got first-place votes.

Saquon Barkley ran away with the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year award after rushing for 2,005 yards, eighth-best in NFL history, in his first season with the Eagles. Barkley sat out Philadelphia’s final regular-season game when he was 101 yards away from breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season record but he has 442 rushing yards and five touchdowns in the playoffs. Barkley needs 30 yards rushing in the Super Bowl to set the all-time single-season record, including the playoffs. Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis had 2,476 yards rushing in 19 regular season and playoff games in 1998 for the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos.

Barkley received 35 of 50 first-place votes. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson received 12 first-place votes and teammate Derrick Henry got one. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and Bills QB Josh Allen also received one first-place vote each. Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase finished third in the voting despite no first-place votes. Chase, a unanimous selection for All-Pro, won the receiving triple crown, leading the league with 127 receptions, 1,708 yards and 17 TDs.