Sat Feb 7 8:36am ET
Field Level Media
Matthew Stafford played it coy minutes before the NFL Honors event kicked off Thursday night by saying he still had to figure out if he would return for an 18th season.
Less than two hours later, Stafford was narrowly named NFL Most Valuable Player and was on the stage in San Francisco, surrounded by his four daughters.
It was time to reveal the secret he was keeping as he addressed his daughters.
"You are unbelievable cheerleaders for me and I appreciate it," Stafford said to the girls. "I am so happy to have you at the games on the sideline with me and I can't wait for you to cheer me on next year when we're out there kicking ass."
Stafford then looked toward the audience as Rams coach Sean McVay jumped out of his chair in celebration.
"I will see you guys next year," said Stafford, "and hopefully I'm not at this event and we're getting ready for another game (Super Bowl LXI) at SoFi."
Stafford edged New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye in the MVP balloting and was the biggest winner at the annual awards showcase that leads up to Sunday's Super Bowl LX between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
Defensive end Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns was the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year after his record 23-sack season.
Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots was named Coach of the Year after guiding the club to a 14-3 regular-season record and a Super Bowl berth in his first season with the team.
Washington Commanders veteran linebacker Bobby Wagner was named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey was named Comeback Player of the Year.
Carolina Panthers receiver Tetairoa McMillan won Offensive Rookie of the Year honors and Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger took Defensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Guard Joe Thuney of the Chicago Bears won the inaugural Protector of the Year award.
Stafford received 24 of 50 first-place MVP votes and 366 total points to beat out Maye, who had 23 and 361, respectively. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, the 2024 MVP, received two first-place votes and Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert had one.
Allen was third in the balloting with 91 points. McCaffrey (71) was fourth and Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (49) was fifth.
It marks the first time Stafford has won the award in 17 NFL seasons, the first 12 with the Detroit Lions and the last five with the Rams.
Stafford, who turns 38 on Saturday, hadn't previously committed to return for 2026.
Stafford led the NFL with 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns in 2025 despite playing through back issues. He didn't miss a game and was intercepted eight times in 597 attempts.
The big disappointment was the Rams falling to the Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game.
"This team was really special and it didn't end the way we wanted it to but I will never forget it," Stafford said.
To the surprise of nobody, Garrett was a runaway winner of the Defensive Player of the Year award. His record-breaking season allowed him to win the top defensive player honor for the second time in the past three seasons.
"It doesn't start with me," Garrett said. "It starts with great teammates, a great organization, great coaches and I'm thankful for every one of my teammates who got me up here. It's not possible without them and their blood, their sweat, their tears."
The other finalists were defensive end Will Anderson Jr. of the Houston Texans, linebacker Nik Bonitto of the Denver Broncos, defensive end Aidan Hutchinson of the Detroit Lions and defensive end Micah Parsons of the Green Bay Packers.
Vrabel earned the top coach honor over a stellar group of finalists that included Liam Coen (Jacksonville Jaguars), Ben Johnson (Chicago Bears), Mike Macdonald (Seattle Seahawks) and Kyle Shanahan (San Francisco).
"It's an honor to be recognized amongst the great coaches of our league," Vrabel said in a video. "Ultimately, my name will go on this award, but this award belongs to a building and a staff and ultimately it belongs to the men in the locker room who believed even when they couldn't see it."
Wagner earned the Man of the Year award for his charitable work, specifically his work toward helping identify signs of a stroke. His mother died in 2009 from complications of a stroke.
"She is and will forever be my rock," Wagner said. "She's the reason why I'm standing here. She's a person that had confidence in me when I didn't even have confidence in myself."
McCaffrey was limited to four games in 2024 due to Achilles and knee injuries. He was injury free in 2025 and rushed for 1,202 yards and 10 touchdowns and caught 102 passes for 924 yards and seven scores.
"This is huge honor," McCaffrey said. "Anytime you have to come back from injuries it's extremely tough physically, emotionally and mentally."
The other comeback candidates were Hutchison, Lawrence, New England Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
Smith-Njigba wasn't in attendance with his focus on Sunday's game. He led the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards while catching 119 passes, including 10 for scores, in his third season with the Seahawks.
The others finalists were Maye, McCaffrey, Los Angeles Rams receiver Puka Nacua and Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson.
McMillan had a strong rookie season with 70 catches for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns. He was the No. 8 overall pick out of Arizona.
Scheswinger racked up 156 tackles -- sixth most in the NFL -- and had 2.5 sacks and two interceptions. He was a second-round draft pick out of UCLA.
The Protector the Year was a first-time award. Buffalo Bills star left tackle Dion Dawkins pushed hard to get it added to the list of accolades. Thuney took the honor in his first season with Chicago and 10th NFL campaign overall.
"I'm not a one-man operation," Thuney said. "... I really appreciate all the former O-linemen who played in this league, the unsung heroes of the past who laid the foundation for those of us to play the game we love."
NFL Honors award winners
Most Valuable Player
--Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams
Offensive Player of the Year
--Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle
Defensive Player of the Year
--Myles Garrett, DE, Cleveland
Offensive Rookie of the Year
--Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina
Defensive Rookie of the Year
--Carson Schwesinger, LB, Cleveland
Comeback Player of the Year
--Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco
Coach of the Year
--Mike Vrabel, New England
Assistant Coach of the Year
--Josh McDaniels, New England
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year
--Bobby Wagner, LB, Washington
RTSports Super Bowl Preview
The Seattle Seahawks have elevated running back Cam Akers from the practice squad ahead of their Super Bowl LX matchup with the Patriots. Seattle signed the six-year veteran before a Week 13 matchup with the Vikings, and he was made active for Seattle's regular-season finale against the 49ers, seeing the field for only one snap. With Zach Charbonnet (knee) tearing his ACL in the Seahawks' Divisional Round rubber match with San Francisco, Akers was made active for the NFC Championship, again seeing the field for only one snap. Along with Akers, Seattle has activated Velus Jones Jr., though neither is expected to have any impact on the game. George Holani, who carried the ball three times for four yards against the Rams, will continue to serve as the primary backup to Kenneth Walker III.
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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins is expected to be released before the start of the new league year in March. Coming off a torn Achilles tendon that ended his six-year tenure in Minnesota, Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with Atlanta before the 2024 season, only to see the team select Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth pick in that year's draft. Across his 22 starts with the Falcons, Cousins has thrown 28 touchdowns to 21 interceptions, while going 12-10. By releasing him before the new league year, he will have the opportunity to sign with any team of his choosing in 2026, with some speculating that a reunion with the Vikings could be in the cards.
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For much of the season, New England wide receiver Kayshon Boutte has been one of the Patriots' most reliable big-play threats, even while topping five targets only once all season. The Patriots' offense has struggled of late, and they come into what many are projecting to be a low-scoring Super Bowl LX. Given the circumstances, Boutte is unlikely to volume his way to fantasy relevance, but he has repeatedly shown up at opportune moments, pulling in over 70% of his regular-season targets despite seeing them at an average depth of 17.5 yards. In a game where nobody benefits from leaving potentially explosive plays uncalled, Boutte has a strong chance of making a game-breaking downfield play, keeping him squarely in the DFS conversation.
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Seahawks veteran wide receiver Cooper Kupp has played some of his best ball of the season in Seattle's playoff wins over the 49ers and Rams, and he could be in line for another high-volume performance in Super Bowl LX. After seeing five targets or more in only five regular-season games, he's hit that mark in back-to-back games. New England has the defensive personnel to at least make things difficult for Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and if they are able to limit him on Sunday, Kupp suddenly becomes an integral part of a Seahawks offense that very well could struggle to run the ball. Since his mid-season trade from the Saints, Rashid Shaheed has seen only 28 targets and 16 receptions across 11 games, making a secondary option like Kupp all the more important if New England can succeed at slowing down Smith-Njigba.
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New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson averaged 25 opportunities per game against the Texans and Broncos, but against yet another top-five defense in the Seattle Seahawks, he may see those numbers drop. New England's last two games were each played in inclement weather, with the Patriots rarely trailing, but they enter Super Bowl LX as underdogs for the first time this postseason. While Stevenson, as the superior pass protector, is still likely to see the field more than rookie TreVeyon Henderson, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels approaches his tenth Super Bowl knowing that this game can't be won by playing things safely. Through either game script or a concerted effort to get more explosive players on the field, Stevenson, who topped eight carries only once over the final six games of the regular season, is unlikely to see the type of volume that he has in recent weeks, making him a low-floor DFS play.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III has had an excellent postseason so far, recording 256 scrimmage yards and four touchdowns on 45 touches across two games played. The 25-year-old spent most of the 2025 regular season splitting work with fellow Seahawks back Zach Charbonnet (knee). However, Charbonnet suffered a torn ACL in Seattle's Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers, ending his postseason early and leading to an increased workload for Walker III. Walker III didn't fully dominate backfield time in the NFC Championship Game against the Los Angeles Rams, as Seahawks RB2 George Holani played 34% of the team's offensive snaps. However, Holani earned just six touches, compared to 23 for Walker III. In Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots, Walker III should remain a heavy feature of the Seahawks' offensive game plan. Walker III is one of the NFL's most explosive running backs, which makes him a high-upside DFS play on Sunday even at an elevated price.
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Across 17 games in the 2025 regular season, New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs recorded 85 receptions for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns on 102 targets. However, the 32-year-old has not been quite as productive across three postseason contests, hauling in 11 catches for 73 yards and a score on 17 targets. In Super Bowl LX, Diggs is now facing a tough matchup against the Seattle Seahawks defense. Seattle finished the regular season ranked first among NFL defenses in yards per pass attempt allowed (6.0) and tied for seventh in passing touchdowns allowed (20). Diggs also faces playing time questions. New England has been judicious with his snap count throughout his first season with the team, and Diggs played just 47% of the Patriots' offensive snaps in the AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos. Between the matchup and his relatively limited production ceiling, Diggs may be a tough wide receiver for DFS fantasy managers to trust on Sunday.
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Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was named the 2025 NFL Offensive Player of the Year on Thursday, cementing his case as the league's best pass-catcher this season. Across 17 games in the regular season, the 23-year-old hauled in 119 receptions for 1,793 yards and 10 touchdowns on 163 targets. After a quiet performance in Seattle's blowout Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers, Smith-Njigba returned to his usual dominant form in the NFC Championship Game, recording 10 catches for 153 yards and a touchdown on 12 targets. Smith-Njigba figures to be the focal point of the Seattle pass game once again in Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots. Across 19 total games this season, Smith-Njigba has recorded fewer than 18.3 PPR fantasy points just five times. While he will be a popular DFS option on Sunday, Smith-Njigba's consistency makes him a safe player to build lineups around.
From RotoBaller
The San Francisco 49ers are not looking to trade backup quarterback Mac Jones this offseason, per Dianna Russini of The Athletic. Russini reports that while "things and offers could change," 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan "loves what he has" in Jones. With San Francisco starter Brock Purdy missing eight games in 2025 due to injury, Jones played a critical role in keeping the 49ers' season afloat. Across his eight starts, the 27-year-old threw for 2,147 yards, 13 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Jones averaged 7.4 yards per pass attempt in 2025, his first time clearing 6.8 yards per attempt since his 2021 rookie season with the New England Patriots. San Francisco signed Jones to a two-year contract last offseason, so the team could easily decide to keep him until he reaches free agency after the 2026 season. However, if a quarterback-needy team views Jones as a potential long-term solution, it might make the 49ers an offer that is too good to pass up.
From RotoBaller
The Athletic's Dianna Russini reports that Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has yet to decide whether he will return to the NFL in 2026, but that "many close to him believe he could return" and a "14th season is looking more real than ever." Kelce will turn 37 years old in October. While he's not the same player he was at his peak, the veteran tight end remained productive in 2025. Across 17 games, Kelce hauled in 76 receptions for 851 yards and five touchdowns on 108 targets. If Kelce does indeed decide to suit up in 2026, he will likely still be one of the top pass-catchers in Kansas City, particularly given the potential of a suspension for Chiefs wideout Rashee Rice. However, Kelce may be without Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (knee) for the early part of the year as Mahomes recovers from the knee injury that ended his 2025 season.
From RotoBaller
Las Vegas Raiders All-Pro pass-rusher Maxx Crosby (knee) said on Friday that he's ahead of schedule in his rehab from left knee surgery that he had around a month ago, according to ESPN. "I'm ahead of schedule, and it's business as usual," Crosby said. "It's my eighth surgery in seven years. It's something that I've gotten used to. It's all about perspective, about how you approach what you want to accomplish. I'm willing to run that marathon." The Raiders put the 28-year-old on Injured Reserve with two games left in the 2025 season, which started speculation about Crosby's future in Sin City. Crosby was not happy with the move and left the team's facilities. It's unclear exactly how Crosby feels, but there have been plenty of rumors that he doesn't want to go through another rebuild after the team finished 3-14 last year. Regardless of where he's playing in 2026, Crosby will remain a high-end DE in fantasy IDP leagues after posting double-digit sacks in three of the last four years.
From RotoBaller
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones reiterated the team's desire to reach a long-term contract extension with impending free-agent wide receiver George Pickens, according to Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "He's better than, as far as what he contributed to our team, showing the potential that he could contribute. I'm looking forward to getting things worked out so George can be a Cowboy a long time," Jones said. In his first year with Dallas in 2025, Pickens led the Cowboys in receiving and earned second-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors with a career-best 1,429 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on a career-high 93 receptions over 17 games. Jones and the Cowboys have a history of dragging out extensions for their star players, though, so nothing is guaranteed for Pickens. However, in Pickens' case, the team seems likely to use the franchise tag to keep him around in 2026 if an extension cannot be reached. If Pickens is in Dallas next season, he'll be a clear WR1 target in fantasy drafts.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane (ankle) was limited in practice on Thursday and Friday this week and is officially questionable to play on Sunday in Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks, per the NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe. Linebacker Harold Landry (ankle) is also questionable. The 30-year-old Spillane injured his ankle in the AFC Championship game victory over the Denver Broncos. If Spillane is limited or unable to play at all on Sunday, it would be a pretty notable loss for the Patriots' defense. Spillane finished his first regular season with the Pats with 97 tackles (48 solo), one sack, two interceptions, five pass breakups, and a forced fumble in 13 starts. Jack Gibbens would make the start at inside linebacker against the Seahawks if Spillane is inactive.
From RotoBaller
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (shoulder) practiced in full all week and has been cleared to play in Super Bowl LX on Sunday versus the Seattle Seahawks. Maye was listed as questionable at the end of last week after suffering a minor right-shoulder injury in the AFC Championship game against the Denver Broncos, but the Patriots were never concerned that it would affect him going into the Super Bowl. The 23-year-old second-year signal-caller out of North Carolina led the NFL with a 72% completion percentage in 17 regular-season games and finished as the QB3 in fantasy scoring, but he's completed only 55.8% of his passes for 533 yards, four touchdowns, and two picks in his first three playoff games. Maye has also fumbled six times (three lost) in the postseason. He'll need to be much better on Sunday against a Seattle defense that allowed the seventh-fewest passing TDs (20) during the regular season.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks rookie safety Nick Emmanwori (ankle) was a full participant in Friday's practice and was removed from the final injury report for Super Bowl LX on Sunday against the New England Patriots, according to ESPN's Brady Henderson. Emmanwori suffered a low-ankle sprain in practice on Wednesday and was held out of Thursday's practice, but he's now ready to go this weekend. It's great news for a Seahawks defense that has been among the best units in the NFL all year. The 21-year-old Emmanwori was in contention for Defensive Rookie of the Year after recording 81 tackles (56 solo), 2.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss, four QB hits, an interception, and 11 pass breakups in 14 regular-season games. He had a strong NFC Championship game against the Los Angeles Rams, too, with five tackles (four solo) and three pass breakups. Emmanwori will hope to make life difficult for Patriots quarterback Drake Maye in the Super Bowl.
From RotoBaller
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold (oblique) practiced in full for a second straight day on Friday and was removed from the final injury report ahead of Super Bowl LX on Sunday versus the New England Patriots. Darnold suffered a left-oblique injury in practice just days before the team's Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers, but it hasn't affected him in two playoff victories on the road to the Super Bowl. The 28-year-old signal-caller has gone 37-for-53 for 470 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions in wins over the 49ers and Los Angeles Rams in the postseason, and his oblique injury should not be an issue at all this weekend. He'll be facing off against a Patriots defense on Sunday that allowed the ninth-fewest passing yards during the regular season, although their schedule was extremely soft. His counterpart, Drake Maye, will be the more popular DFS play in the Super Bowl because he finished as the QB3 in fantasy during the regular season, but Darnold has looked much sharper than Maye in the playoffs.
From RotoBaller
Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce had arguably the best season of his young career in 2025, recording 47 receptions for 1,003 yards and six touchdowns across 15 games played. Pierce remains one of the NFL's most dangerous downfield threats, as he averaged 21.3 yards per reception in 2025 and has led the league in that stat for two years running. However, the 25-year-old also showed signs of becoming a more consistent feature of the Colts' offense this past year. After averaging 4.3 targets per game over the first three seasons of his career, Pierce averaged 5.6 targets per contest in 2025. Pierce is now set to hit unrestricted free agency this spring, but it appears Indianapolis will be looking to bring him back after trading away 2024 second-round wide receiver Adonai Mitchell in the middle of the 2025 season. With the Colts, Pierce profiles as the team's WR2, a role he has proven he can produce in. He may never be an ultra-high volume target earner, but Pierce's fantasy value in dynasty formats should be on the rise after 2025, particularly in leagues that use half and non-PPR scoring.
From RotoBaller
A fifth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Jacksonville Jaguars running back Bhayshul Tuten flashed high-end upside at points throughout his rookie season. The 22-year-old's overall stat line does not jump off the page, as he finished the year with 386 scrimmage yards and seven touchdowns on 93 touches across 15 games played. However, Tuten spent the year behind Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. on the depth chart. While Jacksonville may choose to re-sign him, Etienne Jr. is now set to hit unrestricted free agency and might command a pricy contract on the open market after producing nearly 1,400 scrimmage yards and 13 touchdowns in 2025. If the Jaguars let Etienne Jr. walk, Tuten may be in line to take on the team's RB1 role in 2026. Between Etienne Jr. 2025 and Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving in 2024, Jacksonville head coach and play-caller Liam Coen has proven the ability to manufacture high-value seasons for his running backs. Given the potential opportunity for him in Jacksonville, Tuten should be a player whose value is on the rise in dynasty fantasy formats.
From RotoBaller
In his first season with the team in 2024, Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. recorded over 1,500 yards from scrimmage and played 17 games, earning himself a second contract. However, Jones Sr. struggled through injuries and a production decline in 2025, logging just 747 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns on 160 touches across 12 games played. Even when Jones Sr. was healthy, Minnesota split backfield work between him and Jordan Mason, limiting the production upside for both players. If Jones Sr. is back with the Vikings in 2026, he figures to work in a timeshare with Mason once again. Minnesota could also save $8 million against the cap by releasing Jones Sr., so the veteran running back may find himself in a new home come September. Regardless of where Jones Sr. is playing in 2026, his days as a true lead back for an NFL team may be coming to an end as he hits his age-32 season.
From RotoBaller
Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton posted another rock-solid season in 2025, recording 74 receptions for 1,017 yards and seven touchdowns on 124 targets across 17 games played. His 2025 line is nearly identical to his 2024 production, when he hauled in 81 grabs for 1,081 yards and eight scores on 135 targets. While Sutton may not carry elite fantasy upside, he's established himself as the number one pass-catcher in an above-average Broncos' offense and has proven he can provide a consistent production floor. However, Sutton's long-term fantasy outlook may be dimming heading into 2026. For one, Sutton will be entering his age-31 season. Additionally, Denver has multiple wide receivers on rookie contracts in Pat Bryant, Troy Franklin, and Marvin Mims Jr., who are all candidates to take a step forward next year. Sutton will likely remain a safe wide receiver option for redraft leagues in 2026, but dynasty managers may be wise to anticipate the start of his decline phase.
From RotoBaller