NFL Honors, the league’s annual awards show, will be held tonight out of Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas. And, uh, not that they deserve it—but this year’s Carolina Panthers won’t be well-represented.
So, somebody’s gonna honor our guys, right?
Here are our awards and winners from their 2023 season:
Most Valuable Player: DT Derrick Brown
Was there really a question?
Brown was the biggest constant in another season stricken by changes. The team’s lone Pro Bowler played in nearly 90 percent of the team’s defensive snaps—an absolute marvel of a number given his size and position.
Oh, and he kinda sorta broke a single-season NFL record for defensive linemen, recording a ridiculous 103 tackles.
Offensive Player of the Year: WR Adam Thielen
This honor came down to Thielen and running back Chuba Hubbard, who led the team in rushing for the second time in three seasons. But the 33-year-old wonder was too wonderful to pass up.
Thielen notched his first 1,000-yard campaign since 2018. He also cashed in with four touchdowns (which was quite a lot given the state of this year’s offense) and was tied for the tenth-most receptions (103) in the league.
Defensive Player of the Year: DT Derrick Brown
And was there really a question about this one either?
Brown led all players at his position in stops (50) and run stop win rate (47 percent) as well as all Panthers with a 90.1 overall defensive grade from Pro Football Focus.
Coach of the Year: DC Ejiro Evero
Evero, who may be the only coach left from 2023, deserves huge props for his first year in Carolina. Despite a stockpile of injuries to key players, the Panthers finished having allowed the fourth-fewest yards per game this past season (293.3).
Heck, the guy was so good that the organization went well out of their way to retain him this offseason—even in the midst of another head-coaching change.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: QB Bryce Young
Well, the pickings were slim—so Young pretty much wins this by default.
The No. 1 overall pick didn’t finish with the prettiest stats—completing 59.8 percent of his passes for 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. But his only competition in wideout Jonathan Mingo, who amassed just 418 receiving yards, is obviously a distant second.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: CB D'Shawn Jamison
Once again, slim pickings.
But the Panthers may have found a tiny gem in Jamison—who was added off waivers from the San Francisco 49ers at the very beginning of the season. The undrafted rookie provided some much-needed depth at the cornerback position, registering 107 defensive snaps.
Comeback Player of the Year: CB Donte Jackson
Jackson put a torn Achilles, as well as the physical and mental toll from such a devastating injury, behind him in 2023.
The team’s Ed Block Courage Award winner played in 16 games this season. He, per PFF, registered a 67.2 grade in coverage—the second-highest mark of his career.
