• QB Lamar Jackson is the MVP: Jackson has once again raised his game and could be barreling toward his third MVP award. He’s currently on pace to set career-highs in passing grade, turnover-worthy play rate, and yards per attempt while leading players in carries of 10 or more yards.
• Aidan Hutchinson deserves half-season DPOY: Hutchinson won’t win this award at the end of the season due to his injury, but he deserves to be recognized for his sheer dominance when he did play.
• Unlock your edge with a PFF+ subscription: Get full access to all of our in-season fantasy tools, including weekly rankings, WR/CB matchup charts, weekly projections, the Start-Sit Optimizer, and more. Sign up now!
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
As we reach the midway point of the 2024 NFL regular season, it’s time to evaluate the front-runners for the league’s most prestigious awards based on their performances so far.
From NFL MVP to Coach of the Year, here is PFF’s 2024 midseason award list.
Most Valuable Player: QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Jackson has once again raised his game and could be barreling toward his third MVP award. He’s currently on pace to set career-highs in passing grade, turnover-worthy play rate, and yards per attempt while leading players in carries of 10 or more yards.
Jackson’s 87.8 passing grade is the second-best in the NFL behind Joe Burrow. His dual-threat abilities are a cheat code for a team that is leading the NFL in total offense and offensive grade.
Offensive Player of the Year: RB Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
Henry has been everything the Ravens could have possibly imagined when they signed him in the offseason. He leads the NFL in rushing by nearly 200 yards. His 91.5 rushing grade paces the league as well, and the only player in the league with more explosive runs is, of course, his quarterback, Lamar Jackson.
Henry and Jackson have formed one of the most formidable backfield duos the league has ever seen.
Defensive Player of the Year: EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions
Hutchinson won’t win this award at the end of the season due to his injury, but he deserves to be recognized for his sheer dominance when he did play.
Hutchinson earned an unbelievable 95.0 pass-rush grade over his five games. His 45 pressures still rank second in the NFL behind Nick Bosa, and it took Bosa three extra games to pass him.
Perhaps most impressive is Hutchinson’s 38.3% pass-rush win rate, which would’ve easily been a PFF record if carried across an entire season.
Offensive Rookie of the Year: QB Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
With all due respect to the incredible season that Raiders tight end Brock Bowers is having, Daniels’ emergence as a franchise-altering superstar is one of the stories of the 2024 season.
Daniels’ 85.7 overall grade is the fourth-best in the NFL through the season’s first eight weeks. He has carried his terrific ball security into the league, as his 1.8% turnover-worthy play rate is the fifth-lowest among qualified quarterbacks. His 424 rushing yards rank second to only Lamar Jackson among quarterbacks.
Daniels is the biggest reason the Commanders could reach the postseason.
Defensive Rookie of the Year: ED Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams
Rams fans may have been rightfully worried about the void left on their defensive line by Aaron Donald’s retirement, but Verse has quickly remedied those concerns. Not only has Verse easily been the best rookie pass rusher, his 77.8 pass-rush grade ranks 16th among all qualified edge defenders.
His 32 pressures are tied for ninth among that group, and he is one of only five edge defenders with at least a 75.0 grade as a pass rusher and as a run defender.
Comeback Player of the Year: QB Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals’ record does not indicate how well Joe Burrow has played this season. By his standards, the Bengals quarterback had a pedestrian season in 2023, earning a 76.8 passing grade before suffering a season-ending wrist injury.
He’s responded with an excellent start to 2024, leading the NFL with an 88.3 passing grade. His 15 passing touchdowns already match his total from last season, while his 1.3% turnover-worthy play rate is the best in the NFL. Burrow certainly isn’t the primary reason the Bengals have struggled to win games.
Coach of the Year: Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders
Quinn inherited the NFL’s second-worst team from 2023. Washington allowed the most points in the NFL last season en route to just four victories and desperately needed a franchise quarterback. The team found its quarterback, Jayden Daniels, as part of a foundational draft class, and Quinn now has his defense allowing less than 21 points per game.
As a result, Washington has already surpassed last year’s win total and finds itself just a half-game behind Detroit for the NFC’s top record.
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