Early NFL Honors Favorites: Kareem Hunt Stampede

CARSON, CA – SEPTEMBER 24: Running back Kareem Hunt #27 of the Kansas City Chiefs carries the ball for a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth quarter at StubHub Center on September 24, 2017 in Carson, California. The Chiefs defeated the Chargers 24-10. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images) /

The NFL honors are always a fun topic of discussion during a season with hot debates over who the best players and coaches are.

Each of the top categories are already in tight races with the first quarter of the season about to conclude on Sunday. There are plenty of familiar names but more than a few surprises, both veteran and rookie alike. So who are the favorites thus far? Is somebody in line for a clean sweep on multiple awards? Look below to find out.

MVP: Tom Brady (QB, New England Patriots)

There really isn’t that much to say at this point. Brady remains the ridiculously effective and efficient player he’s been the past few years. He has eight touchdown passes in three games despite losing a number of receivers like Julian Edelman. He also has zero interception. His 4th quarter rally against Houston was another feather in the cap of his growing legend. At age 40 he is still the primary reason the Patriots are winning games and atop the AFC.

Defensive Player of the Year: Chris Jones (DE, Kansas City Chiefs)

People haven’t yet caught on to how well Chiefs defensive end Chris Jones is playing but they will. Not only is he a big part of their run defense, but he also has three sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. Not to mention a couple pass deflections. The guy is doing everything asked of him and more. Despite several injuries the Chiefs defense continues to produce, and he’s arguably the biggest reason for that.

Comeback Player of the Year: Demarcus Lawrence (DE, Dallas Cowboys)

While he’s also a primary competitor for DPOY, there can be no doubt that Demarcus Lawrence is a heavy favorite for Comeback Player honors. Last season was a down one for him. He missed seven games in total last season and only had one sack. Some wondered if he’d ever pan out. Now he leads the NFL with 6.5 sacks in just three games. He’s on track for a big pay day in free agency. Quite the turnaround for the young defensive end.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Kareem Hunt (RB, Kansas City Chiefs)

This is the least surprising of the choices. Kareem Hunt has been otherworldly through the first month of the season. He already has 401 yards rushing, 113 more than the next closest on the list. That’s not counting his additional nine catches for 132 yards. He’s already scored six touchdowns as well. With an offensive mastermind in Andy Reid calling the shots, there’s no reason to think he’ll experience any sort of major regression barring injury.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: T.J. Watt (OLB, Pittsburgh Steelers)

Despite missing the previous game with a groin injury, T.J. Watt is in no danger of losing steam in his chase for Defensive Rookie of the Year. That’s how well he’s played to this point. In addition to two sacks he also has three passes defended and an interception. He is the only pass rusher the Steelers have to this point that causes persistent problems and he was missed in Chicago. That is a surefire sign that his impact is significant already.

Coach of the Year: Sean McVay (Los Angeles Rams)

Last year the Los Angeles Rams were just short of a laughing stock. They couldn’t do anything right and Jeff Fisher was fired before the season was over. A sad end to what at one time looked like a promising career. In comes the strikingly young Sean McVay with a renewed energy and aggressiveness. Under his direction the offense is racking up the points and the team is 2-1. If this trend can hold true he is hands down the Coach of the Year.

Home/NFL Hot Takes