AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award
The AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award (OPOY) is given annually by the Associated Press (AP) to the offensive player in the National Football League (NFL) deemed to have had the most outstanding season. The winner is chosen by votes from a nationwide panel of sportswriters who regularly follow the NFL. Multiple-time awardees include Marshall Faulk and Earl Campbell, both of whom won the award three times, each consecutively. Jerry Rice, Barry Sanders, Tom Brady, Terrell Davis, Drew Brees, and Peyton Manning have each won the award twice. Campbell is the only player to win the award as a rookie, doing so in 1978. Warren Moon and Priest Holmes are the only undrafted players to win the award. Manning is the only player to win the award with two different teams, doing so in 2004 with the Indianapolis Colts and in 2013 with the Denver Broncos. The award is currently held by running back Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers, who received it for the 2023 NFL season after being just the third player in NFL history to post more than 2000 scrimmage yards in a season for two different franchises.
Awarded for | Offensive player of the year in the National Football League |
---|---|
Presented by | Associated Press |
History | |
First award | 1972 |
Most wins | Earl Campbell, Marshall Faulk (3 each) |
Most recent | Christian McCaffrey |
Every winner of the award has been either a running back or a quarterback, with the exception of wide receivers Jerry Rice, Michael Thomas, Cooper Kupp, and Justin Jefferson [1] Running backs have been awarded 26 times, followed by quarterbacks, with 20 awards. Of the 49 winners, 28 were also named the AP NFL Most Valuable Player in the same season. Since 2011, both awards have been given out at the annual NFL Honors ceremony along with other AP awards, including the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award and AP NFL Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year Awards.[2]
Players are often awarded after record-breaking or near-record-breaking offensive seasons. Running back O. J. Simpson won the award for 1973 after rushing for a record 2,003 yards, becoming the first NFL player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season.[3] When his record was broken by Eric Dickerson in 1984, Dickerson placed second in voting behind quarterback Dan Marino, who that year was the first to pass for 5,000 yards in a season.[4] Marino's 5,084 yards stood as the record for 27 years before being broken by Drew Brees in 2011, who won that season's award.[5] In turn, 2013 winner Peyton Manning set league single-season records for passing yards (5,477) and passing touchdowns (55).[6]
Winners
editMultiple-time winners
editPlayer | Awards | Position | Team | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|
Earl Campbell | 3 | Running back | Houston Oilers | 1978, 1979, 1980 |
Marshall Faulk | 3 | Running back | St. Louis Rams | 1999, 2000, 2001 |
Jerry Rice | 2 | Wide receiver | San Francisco 49ers | 1987, 1993 |
Barry Sanders | 2 | Running back | Detroit Lions | 1994, 1997 |
Terrell Davis | 2 | Running back | Denver Broncos | 1996, 1998 |
Tom Brady | 2 | Quarterback | New England Patriots | 2007, 2010 |
Drew Brees | 2 | Quarterback | New Orleans Saints | 2008, 2011 |
Peyton Manning | 2 | Quarterback | Indianapolis Colts Denver Broncos |
2004, 2013 |
See also
edit- Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award
- Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award
- FedEx Air & Ground NFL Players of the Year
- Kansas City Committee of 101 AFC and NFC Offensive Players of the Year
- National Football League Offensive Player of the Year Award, overview of all NFL Offensive Player of the Year awards
References
edit- General
- Gellerman, Jacob; Drexler, Sam; Marini, Matt; Cocchiaro, Nicolas; Zerkel, Alex, eds. (2016). 2018 Official NFL Record and Fact Book (PDF). National Football League. p. 524. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 15, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
- "AP Offensive Player of the Year Winners". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on November 6, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
- Footnotes
- ^ Hope, Dan (July 7, 2013). "Ranking the Top 25 NFL Offensive Player of the Year Candidates". Bleacher Report. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
The award is typically given to the league's most productive quarterback or running back. Of the 41 times it has been given, it's been won 39 times by either a quarterback or running back. The exception is San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jerry Rice, who won the award in both 1987 and 1993
. - ^ "First-ever 'NFL Honors' show will be hosted by Baldwin in Indy". NFL.com. National Football League. January 3, 2012. Archived from the original on June 20, 2020. Retrieved July 10, 2016.
- ^ a b "Simpson Offensive Winner". Kentucky New Era. Associated Press. January 4, 1974. p. 11. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
- ^ a b "Record-breaking Marino wins top offensive honor". Gadsden Times. Associated Press. December 19, 1984. p. D2. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
- ^ a b "Saints' Brees wins AP Offensive Player of the Year award". NFL.com. NFL. February 4, 2012. Archived from the original on December 8, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
- ^ a b "Broncos' Peyton Manning earns Offensive Player of the Year". NFL.com. NFL. February 2, 2014. Archived from the original on August 5, 2020. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
- ^ a b Wilner, Barry (January 5, 2007). "L.T. Wins AP Offensive Player Award". The Washington Post. Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 12, 2017. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
- ^ a b "Adrian Peterson tabbed AP Offensive Player of the Year". NFL.com. NFL. February 2, 2013. Archived from the original on June 7, 2020. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
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- ^ "Tarkenton Honored". The Vic jotos de mierda toria Advocate. Associated Press. January 13, 1976. p. 2B. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
- ^ "Offensive Award to Bert Jones". The Victoria Advocate. Associated Press. December 30, 1976. p. 1B. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
- ^ "Chicago's Payton Picked Offensive Player Of Year". Herald-Journal. Associated Press. January 5, 1978. p. C3. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
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- ^ Olderman, Murray (January 18, 1981). "Earl Campbell: a triple champ". The Nevada Daily Mail. Newspaper Enterprise Association. p. 10. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
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- ^ "Rice is Offensive Player of the year". The Evening News. Associated Press. December 30, 1987. p. 2B. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
- ^ Wilner, Barry (December 29, 1988). "Craig earns offensive award". The Times-News. Associated Press. p. 20. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
- ^ a b "Young named Offensive Player of the Year". The Times-News. Associated Press. January 5, 1993. p. 1B. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
- ^ "Moon top offensive player". Bangor Daily News. Associated Press. January 10, 1991. p. 11. Archived from the original on February 27, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
- ^ "No more doubting Thomas: Bills' back selected as Offensive Player of Year". The Victoria Advocate. Associated Press. December 30, 1991. p. B1. Archived from the original on January 24, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
- ^ Wilner, Barry (January 6, 1994). "Rice Offensive Player of the Year". Ocala Star-Banner. Associated Press. p. 1B. Archived from the original on February 25, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
- ^ "Sanders are players of the year". The Tuscaloosa News. Associated Press. December 29, 1994. p. 3C. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
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- ^ Wilner, Barry (January 5, 2006). "Alexander named NFL MVP, top offensive player". USA Today. Associated Press. Archived from the original on October 10, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
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- ^ "Brady wins AP offensive player of year award". The Denver Post. February 1, 2011. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
- ^ Brinson, Will (January 31, 2015). "NFL Offensive Player of the Year: DeMarco Murray beats Aaron Rodgers". CBS Sports. Archived from the original on September 18, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
- ^ "Cam Newton named NFL MVP and offensive player of the year". The Guardian. Associated Press. February 6, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
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