NFL Quarter Season Awards: MVP, Rookies of the Year, and more

The NFL is about at the quarter mark of the 2023 season, making this the perfect time to look back and reflect on what’s happened so far and to highlight some great performances to start this season. The quarterly season awards that everyone has asked for — starting off with a supremely talented quarterback coming off of his arguably his best game as a pro.

Most Valuable Player: Josh Allen, QB, Bills

This may be a bit controversial due to the first game he played this season, but Bills quarterback Josh Allen gets the nod for Most Valuable Player at this point. Allen bombed the first game against the Jets, but has been lights-out ever since. Over the past three games, Allen has completed 76.6% of his passes for 812 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception, adding two scores on the ground. His latest masterpiece came with a perfect 158.3 passer rating against the Miami Dolphins. As long as he can stay away from the self-inflicted disaster class games, he’ll be in the running for this award for the entire season.

Offensive Player of the Year: Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers

Christian McCaffrey has been a godsend for the 49ers offense. There might not be a better match between player talent and coaching priorities than McCaffrey and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. McCaffrey has been essential for the 49ers in the pass and running game and is currently on pace for 30 touchdowns and 2,500 all-purpose yards this year. McCaffrey is a true game-changer for the 49ers and his talent level has significantly raised the floor of an already-good offense.

Defensive Player of the Year: Myles Garrett, EDGE, Browns

Myles Garrett has been dominant this year, and no game best illustrates his ability to get after the passer than the Browns' beatdown of the Tennessee Titans a couple weeks ago. Garrett gave Andre Dillard hell en route to three sacks and a handful of quarterback hits. T.J. Watt and Micah Parsons also deserve some credit here, but Garrett gets the nod for the quarter mark awards — it’s hard to find a wrong answer for this one.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: C.J. Stroud, QB, Texans

The 2023 rookie class has gotten off to a good start. Bijan Robinson has been as good as advertised for the Falcons, while Puka Nacua has been a hidden gem for the Rams. However, none of them have flipped the script for a franchise quite like C.J. Stroud has done for Houston. In four games, Stroud has thrown for over 1,200 yards and has yet to throw an interception. He may not be the overwhelming physical force that Anthony Richardson is, but he’s accurate and decisive as a passer and has given the Texans’ offense a baseline level of stability that they didn’t have before. The future is bright again in Houston and it starts with their rookie quarterback.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jalen Carter, DT, Eagles

There have been quality defensive performances this year from guys like Will Anderson and Christian Gonzalez, but no rookie has had the impact that Jalen Carter has had for the Eagles. He is already producing like an elite player at defensive tackle. According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Carter ranks eighth in total pressures so far this season with 21 — San Francisco’s Javon Hargrave is only defensive tackle with more pressures (22) than Carter this season. His game has translated seamlessly to the NFL and he’s the clear favorite for this award right now.

Coach of the Year: Kyle Shanahan, 49ers

This is one of the easier picks of this column. Kyle Shanahan has absolutely maxed out his roster this season, coming off of a game where Brock Purdy completed 95.2% of his passes and had the offense absolutely humming. The 49ers still look like one of the teams to beat in the NFC and that starts with their head man. His vision of what this offense is supposed to be has worked flawlessly up to this point and the stage is perfectly set for a showdown with Dan Quinn’s Cowboys defense. If the 49ers can keep up their streak of 30-point outings during the game with the Cowboys, Shanahan will make a real life claim toward this award.