NFL Execs Pick 2026 Awards: Burrow MVP, Cowboys Coach — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Joe Burrow edged the MVP field ahead of Josh Allen, with one AFC exec saying he senses urgency this year but another saying they're "done banking on Burrow because of the injuries"; Cincinnati's offense will feature more under-center work to spark a ground game that ranked 29th last year.
- Patrick Mahomes is the Comeback Player of the Year pick after tearing both his ACL and PCL, and the source frames his motivation as answering the "noise" — described as the first real doubt to hover over the three-time Super Bowl MVP.
- Jahmyr Gibbs leads the OPOY race with 39 rushing touchdowns across three seasons as a 1A back behind David Montgomery, but the source flags thin depth ahead of him: backups Sione Vaki and Jacob Saylors have combined for just nine NFL carries and veteran Isiah Pacheco is on injured reserve.
- Will Anderson Jr. is the DPOY prediction at age 25, with Houston pairing him opposite Danielle Hunter; an NFL personnel evaluator said "you can't double both," and the Texans are flagged as a realistic AFC Super Bowl contender.
- Jadarian Price, the 32nd overall pick out of Notre Dame, leads a tight OROY race that includes fellow Irish back Jeremiyah Love (Arizona) and Cleveland's KC Concepcion; an NFC scout said Seattle's offense "is dedicated to running the ball."
- Caleb Downs is the DROY pick for Dallas, where coach Brian Schottenheimer said the rookie can play "anywhere," including covering CeeDee Lamb up the seam; the last defensive back to win DROY was Sauce Gardner in 2022.
- Brian Schottenheimer earned the wild-card Coach of the Year nod in a race with no runaway favorite; if he wins, he'd be the same head coach overseeing the DROY frontrunner (Downs), giving Dallas a shot at sweeping both major team-aligned awards.
Why it matters: With the 2026 NFL season opening Wednesday (Patriots at Seahawks), execs' predictions hinge on two unresolved questions the source flags: Joe Burrow's durability (one AFC exec said they're "done banking on Burrow") and Patrick Mahomes answering the doubt the article says now hovers over him for the first time. The Coach of the Year race has no favorite, with the piece calling its pick a wild card.
Ask SkimNews
