NFL Honors Awards 2026
The 2026 NFL Honors ceremony took place in San Francisco on Thursday, February 5, 2026, three days before Super Bowl LX.
It’s the league’s annual prime-time night to wrap up the 2025 NFL season and hand out all the major awards in one place: MVP, Coach of the Year, Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, Rookies, Comeback Player, Walter Payton Man of the Year, and more.
This year’s show doubled as a kind of “football reunion” in the Bay Area, with the Hall of Fame Class of 2026 also highlighted, including legends like Larry Fitzgerald, Luke Kuechly, Adam Vinatieri, and Drew Brees.
Viewers got the usual mix of emotional speeches, a few slightly awkward jokes that somehow still worked in the room, and that classic NFL Honors vibe where superstars are in suits instead of shoulder pads, which always looks a little surreal but in a good way.
Who Won MVP NFL 2026?
The 2025 AP NFL Most Valuable Player, announced at NFL Honors 2026, was Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Stafford edged out a stacked finalist group that included Drake Maye, Christian McCaffrey, Josh Allen, and Trevor Lawrence, capping a late-career surge that felt like a full-circle “respect the veteran” moment.
What made this hit with fans was how it balanced narrative and numbers: Stafford led an explosive Rams offense and outperformed expectations in a season where younger quarterbacks were supposed to own the spotlight.
There was a noticeable buzz online the moment his name was read, a mix of “finally” from long-time Stafford supporters and a few surprised reactions from those who assumed the MVP would go to Maye as the Patriots marched into the Super Bowl.
Where to Watch NFL Honors Awards 2026?
The 2026 NFL Honors aired live on NBC and NFL Network at 9 p.m. ET, with a pre-show starting an hour earlier on NFL Network.
For streaming, viewers could watch the full ceremony on Peacock and NFL+, with additional access via live TV streaming services that carry NBC or NFL Network.
In practical terms, most fans ended up using one of a few routes: a basic cable package with NBC, an NFL+-style subscription on mobile, or a Peacock subscription that also lines up nicely with Super Bowl LX and other February NFL content.
NFL Honors Awards Winners
A lot happened beyond the MVP, and several names kept popping up across multiple categories. Some of the key 2026 NFL Honors winners for the 2025 season were:
Defensive Player of the Year – Myles Garrett, DE, Cleveland Browns, who put up a record-breaking 23-sack season and somehow still dealt with constant double-teams.
Offensive Player of the Year – Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks, rewarded for a huge year even while focusing on a massive game coming up on Sunday.
Offensive Rookie of the Year – Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Carolina Panthers, recognized for emerging as a genuine No. 1 option faster than most rookies manage.
Protector of the Year – Joe Thuney, G, Chicago Bears, the inaugural winner of an award designed to finally give offensive linemen their own spotlight.
Comeback Player of the Year – Christian McCaffrey, RB, San Francisco 49ers, honored for bouncing back into elite form and reminding everyone how dangerous he is when fully healthy.
Coach of the Year – Mike Vrabel, New England Patriots head coach, recognized for steering a retooled Patriots team all the way to the Super Bowl with rookie QB Drake Maye.
The show also celebrated the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026, with modern-era inductees like Larry Fitzgerald and Drew Brees drawing some of the biggest applause of the night — the kind of ovations that quietly make everyone feel a bit nostalgic.
Who is Hosting NFL Honors Awards 2026?
The 2026 NFL Honors were hosted by actor Jon Hamm, bringing a familiar Hollywood face back to the football stage. Hamm’s style tends to lean into dry humor with a little self-awareness, which fit the pacing of a night that mixes serious, emotional awards like Walter Payton Man of the Year with lighter, highlight-driven segments.
It’s the sort of hosting choice that bridges casual viewers and hardcore fans recognizable from film and TV, but also clearly comfortable talking ball without sounding like someone reading off a teleprompter for the first time.
Moments like players laughing at a slightly too-real joke about schedule flexing or bad fantasy football beats helped keep the night from feeling overly stiff.
How to Watch NFL Honors Awards 2026?
To watch the 2026 NFL Honors live, viewers in the U.S. could tune into NBC or NFL Network at 9 p.m. ET, or stream it via Peacock and NFL+.
For cord-cutters, services that carry NBC or NFL Network paired with logins for apps like Peacock or NFL+ were the main ways to catch the ceremony without a traditional cable subscription.
A simple game plan that many fans followed looked something like this:
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Use a standard TV or antenna setup for NBC if available.
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Stream via Peacock for a clean, app-based experience (especially convenient for those already planning to use it for Super Bowl LX).
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Watch on mobile with NFL+ when away from home or juggling other plans on a busy Thursday night.
For anyone catching up after the fact, highlight packages, winner lists, and clips of speeches were posted across NFL.com and the official NFL social channels, especially Instagram and X, making it easy to relive the biggest moments without rewatching the entire broadcast.
Disclaimer
Information about NFL Honors Awards 2026, including MVP winner, host, date, and viewing details, is based on currently available sports news and official league communications. Viewers should verify schedules, channels, and streaming options with their local listings or official NFL platforms, as programming and availability can change.
