August 20th, 2025
By Stephen Juza
The NFL season will kick off in less than three weeks, and preseason action is ramping up all around the league. Over the next few weeks, we will look around the league to make our annual predictions - which teams will dominate their divisions, who may take home individual awards, which coaches may be on the hot seat. In today's article, we will look at individual award winners for the 2025 season.
Sports betting and online casinos are increasingly overlapping, with many platforms now offering players the chance to wager on both sporting events and slot games. With the NFL season approaching, many bettors are already eyeing individual award markets - from MVP odds to Defensive Player of the Year predictions. The best online casinos typically offer comprehensive betting options on these season-long awards alongside their casino offerings. As we dive into our 2025 NFL award predictions below, it's worth noting how these individual accolades have become some of the most popular betting markets of the season.
Most Valuable Player - Joe Burrow
Two time winner of the Comeback Player of the Year award will graduate to the MVP this year as Joe Burrow leads the Bengals to an AFC North title. Burrow has finished fourth in the MVP voting in two of his three healthy seasons, and will look to capitalize on a great 2024. He led the league last year with almost 5,000 yards passing and 43 touchdown passes. When it comes to awards, it can be as much about the narrative as it is the actual stats, and voter fatigue will remove some of Burrow's top competition from serious consideration as he wins his first MVP award.
Offensive Player of the Year - Justin Jefferson
Justin Jefferson is arguably the best wide receiver in the game, and had the second most receiving yards in the league with Sam Darnold as his starting quarterback. With Darnold gone, and J.J. McCarthy taking the reins behind the center, expect an even bigger season from the all-pro wide receiver. While it will be unknown as to how great McCarthy will be for the Vikings, having Jefferson as a safety net will certainly help his learning curve as he takes his first snaps in the NFL.
Defensive Player of the Year - Aiden Hutchinson
Hutchinson will be well positioned to win both the DPOY award as well as the comeback player of the year. When he's healthy, he can be a force on the edge. Last season, he managed to compile 7.5 sacks in only five games before he broke his leg against the Cowboys, a pace that would break the single-season record. If he's able to return to form, he will be menace to opposing quarterbacks.
Offensive Rookie of the Year - Ashton Jeanty
Ashton Jeanty was taken sixth overall after a bruising career at Boise State when he ran for 2,601 yards last season. New Raiders head coach Pete Carroll has had some impressive success with running backs in his career, and look for Jeanty to join the names of Reggie Bush and Marshawn Lynch as feature backs that dominated the game. He will have ample opportunity to shine as the starting running back with minimal competition for regular carries.
Defensive Rookie of the Year - Abdul Carter
Abdul Carter could be the next great Giants pass rusher in the same mold as Lawrence Taylor or Michael Strahan. An incredibly disruptive force in college, he pressured the quarterback in 18.5% of his snaps last season for Penn State. He suffered a stress fracture right before the draft, but opted to not have surgery. If he can stay on the field, he will be able to make an impact from the very beginning of the season. However, he will have to make up some ground on the Giants depth chart where he's currently listed behind Brian Burns in their base defense.
Comeback Player of the Year - Aiden Hutchinson
While quarterbacks have won this award for the last several years, this will be the year to break the streak. Hutchinson only played in five games last season, but despite that, the Lions were able to have the seventh ranked defense (by points allowed). With an incredibly potent and creative offense, if Hutchinson can help elevate the defense to a top-five ranking, look to see him take home the hardware over other contenders.
Coach of the Year - Ben Johnson
Coach of the year is often as much about exceeding expectations as it is about actual results, and the Bears give their new coach a whole lot of room to exceed expectations. Finishing last in the division two of the last three years, there is a lot of opportunity to improve. Additionally, former first overall pick Caleb Williams will look like a completely different player compared to his rookie year under former coach Matt Eberflus. Johnson's offensive mind will help Williams flourish, and if it weren't for an incredibly tough division, they may be looking at a playoff bid. However, the Bears will likely have to settle playing meaningful games in December for the first time since 2020.