Chargers’ 2023 year-end awards: Picking MVP, Breakout Player of the Year and more
The Chargers finished 5-12 in what was a dud of a season, which resulted in Tom Telesco and Brandon Staley being relieved of their duties.
While many fans are ready to put this season to bed and focus on the offseason, it’s only right to reflect and hand out the season awards to certain players for their efforts on the field.
Most Valuable Player: EDGE Khalil Mack
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
After considering retiring following the Chargers’ playoff collapse to the Jaguars, Mack had one of the best years of his career in his 10th NFL season. He set a career-high in sacks for a season with 17 and became the 43rd player in NFL history to hit the 100-sack mark. A menace off the edge, Mack not only got after the quarterback at a high level, but he was also a key contributor at defending the run. In a season where the defense was a dud, Mack remained a bright spot that shined on a weekly basis. For his efforts, he was named to his eighth Pro Bowl.
-Gavino
Offensive Player of the Year: WR Keenan Allen
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Offensive Player of the Year often goes to the best non-quarterback player when awarded at the league level. Let’s continue with the trend and recognize Allen, who posted a career-high 108 receptions for 1,243 yards and seven touchdowns at age 31.
The stalwart of Los Angeles’ offenses for the past decade, Allen won the record back from Austin Ekeler, who had 107 receptions last season to beat out Allen’s 106 in 2021. But both numbers were posted in full seasons, Allen with 16 games and Ekeler with 17. Due to injuries, Allen hit 108 this season in only thirteen contests.
There are few other options worth consideration for the award after the way the Chargers’ season went, but Allen would be worthy of the award even in a normal year. He earned every bit of his sixth Pro Bowl award and was an unfortunate omission from this year’s All-Pro teams.
-Alex
Defensive Player of the Year: EDGE Khalil Mack
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Aside from Mack, there weren’t a lot of solid players on the defense worth mentioning in this category except the player I’m about to mention in a bit. Heading into the offseason and strapped for cash, the Chargers will have a big decision to make with Mack, who has the second-highest cap hit in 2024. They could opt to extend him or possibly cut him to free up some space.
-Gavino
Special Teams Player of the Year: WR Derius Davis
Dustin Satloff/Getty Images
As much as JK Scott deserves to be recognized for suddenly adding ten yards of net punt yardage in the middle of the season without sacrificing his league-leading hangtime numbers, it’s hard to pass on Davis, who was named the AP second-team All-Pro returner this season.
Drafted in the fourth round, many saw Davis as a bit of a reach at the time. Since-departed head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco defended the pick with the rationale that the Chargers wanted to draft four starters with their first four picks, and Davis would be their starting returner. The TCU product led the league in punt return average with 16 yards a return, including an 87-yard touchdown against the Jets in Week 9.
Davis also tacked on 22 yards per kick return, frequently giving the Chargers advantageous field position no matter the circumstance.
-Alex
Rookie of the Year: EDGE Tuli Tuipulotu
Elsa/Getty Images
Tuipulotu was deserving of being named Defensive Player of the Year, too. But instead, he gets his own spotlight for the phenomenal first-year player that he was. The former second-round pick was a monster opposite Mack throughout the season, finishing with the second-most quarterback pressures (51) and an 88.4 run defense grade that only trailed greats Maxx Crosby, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Khalil Mack. Tuipulotu, who is only 21 years old, played like a veteran in his rookie season, and he will only continue to get better.
-Gavino
Breakout Player of the Year: S Alohi Gilman
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
There aren’t a lot of good choices for this one, considering the Chargers regressed pretty much across the board. Awarding it to a rookie like Tuli Tuipulotu feels like cheating. Most players who played well – Justin Herbert, Keenan Allen, Rashawn Slater, Khalil Mack, etc – were expected to lead the team.
But Gilman, who at age 26 became a full-time starter at safety for the first time in his career, is the lone exception. He started all 14 games he played, had two interceptions, forced three fumbles, and recovered two others. There were stretches of the season where it felt like Gilman was the one to make a play on the ball when the Chargers most needed it. While there were also a healthy amount of reps that needed fine-tuning, turnovers are king for defensive backs (just ask DaRon Bland, who just made an All-Pro team).
Gilman is a free agent when the new league year opens, and the Chargers would be wise to re-sign him to a moderate contract to see if his 2023 season resulted from variance or a genuine nose for the ball. But in a vacuum, Gilman’s year was the closest thing the Chargers had to a non-rookie player arriving on the national scene in a meaningful way.
-Alex
