Patrick Mahomes named 2022 season MVP ahead of Super Bowl

PHOENIX (AP) – Patrick Mahomes dominated the AP NFL Most Valuable Player Award. Now he will try to break the MVP curse.

Mahomes, who also won in 2018, easily edged out Jalen Herts with 48 out of 50 first-place votes from a nationwide group of media representatives who regularly cover the league. He scored 490 points to 193 for Hurts, who got one first, 26 seconds, 11 thirds and 10 fourths.

The Mahomes and Kansas City Chiefs (16-3) will face the Hurts and Philadelphia Eagles (16-3) in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

The last nine MVPs to play in the Super Bowl this season are 0-9. Kurt Warner was the last person to win the MVP award and the Super Bowl after the 1999 season.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen got another first place finish in third with 151 points. Bengals QB Joe Burrow finished in fourth place and Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson came in fifth.

Mahomes, 27, became the third player to win his second MVP before he turned 28, joining Brett Favre (27) and Jim Brown (22).

Mahomes became the 2018 NFL Most Valuable Player in his first full season as a starter.

The Chiefs lost the AFC Championship that season, but Mahomes led them to a Super Bowl victory over San Francisco the following season.

RETURNING PLAYER

Jeno Smith, who earned his first Pro Bowl spot after becoming a full starter for the first time since 2014, was named AP Player of the Year.

The Seattle Seahawks quarterback received 28 first-place votes by defeating San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey.

Smith, 32, threw for 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns, and led Seattle to the NFC’s berth.

Smith earned 171 points and McCaffrey 110 with 12 first place votes. New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley finished in fourth place. He received four first places.

Others who took first place included: Eagles guard Brandon Graham (2), Giants center Nick Gates (2), Lions quarterback Jared Goff (1) and Cardinals defenseman JJ Watt (1).

COACH OF THE YEAR

Brian Daball made a big impression in The Big Apple.

The New York Giants rookie coach received the AP Coach of the Year award after leading the team to its first playoff berth in six years.

Daboll received 16 first-place votes, ahead of 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who received 12. Daboll scored 123 points to Shanahan’s 100 in the closest race of all the 2022 AP NFL honors.

Jaguars coach Doug Pederson finished third with 75 points, including five first-place votes.

Bills coach Sean McDermott was fourth, followed by Philadelphia’s Nick Sirianni.

McDermott received seven first-place votes, Sirianni six, Kansas City’s Andy Reed two, and Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell and Detroit’s Dan Campbell one each.

The Giants started 6-1, finished 9-7-1 and won the playoff game under Daball.

BEGINNER PROTECTION

It’s all about the sauce.

New York Jets cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner won the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year award Thursday with 46 first-place votes.

Detroit Lions defenseman Aidan Hutchinson finished second with 129 points, receiving three first-place votes.

Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tarik Wulen finished third with 73 points, including one first-place vote.

Gardner, the fourth pick in the draft, started every game for the Jets. He made two interceptions and allowed only 33 shots on 73 targets. Gardner was a first-team All-Pro player, becoming the first rookie defenseman to receive the honor since Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott in 1981.

Gardner and Garrett Wilson are the third teammates to earn rookie offensive and defensive honors in the same season. Alvin Camara and Marshawn Lattimore did it with the Saints in 2017, while Detroit’s Mel Farr and Lem Barney did it in 1967.

ATTACKING BEGINNER

Garrett Wilson, wide receiver for the Jets, edged out Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker for the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, 156–129.

Wilson led all rookies with 83 catches and 1,103 receiving yards. Walker led all rookies with 1,050 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.

Wilson received 18 first-place votes, one fewer than Walker. However, he got 19 seconds to Walker’s eight. Wilson had nine third-place votes, also one short of Walker’s.

First place votes are worth 5 points, second place votes are worth 3 points, and third place votes are worth 1.

49ers quarterback Brock Purdy finished third.

PROTECTOR

Nick Boza was successful in the AP Defensive Player of the Year award.

The San Francisco All-Pro quarterback received 46 first-place votes after leading the NFL with 18 1/2 sacks in the regular season.

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons finished second with 101 points, well behind Bosa’s 237. Parsons did not receive first place, but received 30 votes for second and 11 for third.

Kansas City Chiefs guard Chris Jones finished third with 56 points. Jones had one vote for first place.

Philadelphia Eagles forward Haason Reddick received two first-place votes but ended up in fourth place.

New York Jets quarterback Quinnen Williams took first place in the voting.

Bose is facing a significant pay raise this offseason. He’s set to play his fifth-year option worth nearly $18 million for 2023, but he’s likely to get an extension that could be worth more than $30 million a year.

ATTACKING PLAYER

Justin Jefferson escaped with the AP Offensive Player of the Year award.

The All-Pro wide receiver from Minnesota received 35 first-place votes and earned 192 points, well ahead of second-place Patrick Mahomes.

Mahomes received 10 first place votes and finished with 75 points. Jalen Herts finished third with 52 points, including three first place votes. Tyreke Hill of the Miami Dolphins got one first place and finished fourth. Bills quarterback Josh Allen got another first place and finished eighth.

Jefferson led the NFL with 128 catches and 1,809 rushing yards in his third season with the Vikings. He was one of two unanimous selections to the AP All-Pro along with Chiefs tight end Travis Kelsey.

For the second year in a row, this award has been received by a wide receiver. LA Rams star Cooper Kupp won it last season.

ASSISTANT COACH

DeMeco Ryans will take the AP Assistant Coach of the Year award to Houston with him.

The Texans’ new head coach received 35 first-place votes after leading the league’s No. 1 defense in San Francisco.

Ryans, who has spent the past two seasons as the 49ers’ defensive coordinator, has 206 points. He was named in 48 out of 50 ballots.

Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson finished second in voting with 113 points, including 11 first-place votes.

Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen finished third with 26 points.

Ryans, a two-time Pro Bowl linebacker during his playing career with the Texans, spent his entire coaching career with the 49ers. He was San Francisco’s indoor linebackers coach from 2018 to 2020 after spending the 2017 season as defensive quality control coach.