Pro Football Journal 2024 NFL Awards

 By John Turney 

Lamar Jackson (l) and Myles Garrett (r)

Two thousand and twenty-four was not an easy year to pick NFL awards, as there were no clear winners in many categories. Most had at least two strong candidates and reasonable people could have picked either one.

But here our best effort:

Most Valuable Player—Lamar Jackson, QB, Ravens

Offensive Player of the Year—Saquon Barkley, RB, Eagles

Defensive Player of the Year—Myles Garrett, DE, Browns

Offensive Rookie of the Year—Jayden Daniels, QB, Commanders

Defensive Rookie of the Year—Jared Verse, Edge, Rams

Comeback Player of the Year—J.K. Dobbins, RB, Chargers

Most Improved Player of the Year—Zack Baun, LB, Eagles

Coach of the Year—Dan Quinn, Commanders

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The MVP race came down to Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen of the Bills—a near coin toss. Ultimately, Jackson’s late-season surge gave him the edge in our view. Now, it’s up to the AP and PFWA voters to decide if they see it the same way.

The Offensive Player of the Year was another tight contest, this time between Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry of the Ravens. Both were deserving, but we gave the nod to Barkley by the narrowest of margins. Barkley was the better receiver and hitting a magical number like "2,000" in rushing yards while sitting the last game of the season does catch the eye.

For Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett's consistent dominance and impact sealed the decision. According to Trench Warfare, Garrett led the league in "Quality Pressures," a metric analyzing pressures based on their game-changing value. He also ranked second in "Quality Sacks," following the same methodology for sacks. 

Watching Garrett play, it was evident that he disrupted offenses week after week, often facing double teams and still delivering. 

Though Patrick Surtain was a strong contender, Garrett’s influence was undeniable, earning him our award. Zack Baun also received consideration. Trey Hendrickson, the Bengals' edge rusher had another terrific year and we took a close look. 

The Offensive Rookie of the Year came down to Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix. Both led their teams to the playoffs, but Daniels’ consistency throughout the season gave him the edge, while Nix’s late-season surge made it a closer call than people might have thought in November.

Defensively, Quinyon Mitchell was a standout, but Rams edge rusher Jared Verse took the honor. While his sack totals weren’t eye-popping, Verse generated an impressive volume of pressures, ranking third in the league in "Quality Pressures." Moreover, HOW the pressures looked was often stunning. It had to be stunning for some offensive tackles whose knees he bucked with his bull rush. 

For Comeback Player of the Year, Joe Burrow made a strong case, but J.K. Dobbins’ return from an Achilles tear—after playing just one game last season—stood out. Dobbins’ return to form was a more compelling comeback story than Burrow's. Aaron Rodgers was also considered but didn’t perform at the same level post-injury. He came back but came back average --for him. 

The Most Improved Player, an award recognized by the PFWA but not the AP, was an easy choice: Zach Baun. After being a part-time role player with the Saints, Baun transformed with his new team into a versatile, all-around force on defense.

Finally, the Coach of the Year decision came down to Jim Harbaugh of the Chargers and Dan Quinn of the Commanders. Both led remarkable comeback seasons for their respective teams, but Quinn dug his out of a bigger hole.