It's officially Super Bowl week, with the NFL's 104th season officially one for the history books, it's time to recognize the players and decision-makers that had the most impressive performances of the 2023 campaign with FanBuzz's own NFL Awards.
Before the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers meet in Las Vegas with the Lombardi Trophy at stake, here's a look back at our selections for NFL MVP, Offensive and Defensive Players and Rookies of the Year, Comeback Player, Coach and Executive of the Year.
MVP: Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens
Jackson had the most prolific season of his career, in his first playing in offensive coordinator Todd Monken's scheme. Passing for 3,678 yards with 24 touchdowns to just seven interceptions, Jackson made marked strides as a passer from the pocket in 2023 while remaining just as dangerous and electrifying as a runner as ever. Jackson led the Ravens to become the only 13-win team in the league and to the doorstep of the Super Bowl in 2023.
Offensive Player of The Year: Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers
McCaffrey had the kind of season worthy of legitimate MVP consideration. Few players not named Brock Purdy were more instrumental to the 49ers' success in 2023, than McCaffrey. In addition to leading the league in rushing, with 1,459 yards with 14 touchdowns, McCaffrey also added caught 67 passes for 564 yards and seven touchdowns, surpassing 2,000 total yards from scrimmage for just the second time in his career.
Defensive Player of The Year: Micah Parsons, EDGE, Dallas Cowboys
Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images
Few defensive players showed the tangible ability to alter the outcome of games during the 2023 season than Parsons. Whether it be a timely fourth-quarter sack, or forcing an incompletion on the final snap of the game, Parsons was a driving force behind the Cowboys' dominance on defense this season. Parsons finished the 2023 campaign with a career-high 14 sacks, while adding 103 quarterback pressures, most in the NFL, while also boasting a league-high pass-rush win-rate.
Offensive Rookie of The Year: C.J. Stroud, QB, Houston Texans
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, C.J. Stroud didn't just defy expectations, the Houston Texans' upstart signal caller played his way into the throes of the MVP conversation with a stellar rookie campaign. Even as a rookie, Stroud proved that he is already among the game's premier quarterbacks by passing for 4,108 yards (eighth-most in the NFL), 23 touchdowns, and just five interceptions, in only 15 games. Beyond emerging as a prolific and consistent passer, Stroud played a starring role in altering the culture and trajectory of the Texans' franchise, leading Houston to the AFC Divisional Playoffs. In a stellar incoming rookie class, Stroud stood above his peers.
Defensive Rookie of The Year: Jalen Carter, DL, Philadelphia Eagles
Carter lived up to the hype as arguably the premier prospect in the 2023 draft, emerging as an immediate interior pass-rush threat along the Eagles' defensive line. Finishing his rookie season with six sacks and 33 total tackles, the former University of Georgia standout was already among the most disruptive interior linemen in the NFL. Despite facing double-teams on 59 percent of snaps, Carter produced the sixth-highest pass-rush win-rate in the NFL.
Comeback Player of The Year: Damar Hamlin, DB, Buffalo Bills
Hamlin didn't just come back from a serious injury, but a near-death experience suffered on national television in a Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in 2023. While only appearing in five games this season, the fact that Hamlin walked out of the hospital and ultimately back onto an NFL football field were a true testament to the wonders of medical science and the 25-year-old's determination. Few players have ever been forced to overcome longer odds than Hamlin had to in 2023.
Coach of The Year: DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans
Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images
In the span of one season, Ryans lifted the Texans from perennial cellar-dwellers to AFC South Champions and legitimate Super Bowl contenders. A culture-driver and defensive mastermind, by the end of the 2023 season, the Texans' defense was already beginning to look reminiscent of the dominant units Ryans oversaw with the San Francisco 49ers prior to arriving in Houston. The rookie head coach, and rookie quarterback duo have the Texans entering arguably the brightest future the franchise has ever had in front of it.
Executive of The Year: Brad Holmes, GM, Detroit Lions
The Lions came one win shy of the franchise's first Super Bowl berth, but the additions made by general manager Brad Holmes have given Detroit one of the most exciting and productive rosters in the league. Brian Branch, Jack Campbell, Sam LaPorta, and Jahmyr Gibbs, all members of Detroit's stellar 2023 NFL Draft class, emerged immediately as pillars of the organization's future. Over the past two seasons, Holmes has put on a masterclass in the NFL Draft, while astutely adding veterans in free agency that have helped get the most out of quarterback Jared Goff. No longer a punchline, Holmes has built these Lions into a franchise with a legitimate Super Bowl window that is only just opening.
