Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who led the NFL in passing yards and passing touchdowns and set the league record for total offense yards gained, is the 2022 NFL Most Valuable Player chosen in voting conducted by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA).
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who led the NFL in receptions and receiving yards, is the league’s Offensive Player of the Year.
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa, who led the NFL in sacks, is the PFWA’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Mahomes, the 49th MVP honored by the PFWA, wins the award for the second time (2018), and he is the eighth player in NFL history to win multiple PFWA MVP awards. He is the 10th consecutive quarterback selected MVP by the PFWA and the 33rd QB to win the award overall.
Mahomes, in his sixth NFL season, started all 17 games, completed 435 of 648 passes for a league-leading 5,250 yards with an NFL-best 41 touchdowns and a 105.2 passer rating (second in the NFL). He rushed 61 times for 358 yards and four touchdowns, and he also caught one pass for six yards. Combined, Mahomes accounted for an NFL-record 5,614 total offense yards. He threw for 300 or more yards a Chiefs-record 10 times, including a season-high 446 yards against Tennessee in Week 9. He led the league in completions of 20+ yards (73) and 40+ yards (13). Mahomes was the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for Weeks 1 and 4 and the AFC Offensive Player of the Month for November. He was selected to the FPWA’s 2022 All-NFL and All-AFC teams.
Jefferson, in his third NFL season, is the second Vikings player to receive the PFWA’s Offensive Player of the Year since the award was instituted in 1992 (RB Adrian Peterson; 2012) and the second wide receiver to win the award (Cooper Kupp; 2021).
Jefferson started all 17 games and led the league in receptions (128) and receiving yards (1,809), the first Vikings player to accomplish this feat in franchise history. He also caught eight touchdown passes and rushed for one TD. He is the seventh player in NFL history to post 1,800 receiving yards or more. He set a Vikings single-season record with 10 100-yard receiving games. Jefferson tied his career high with 12 catches against the New York Giants in Week 16, and he set his career high with 223 receiving yards at Detroit in Week 14. He was the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 10 and the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for November. Jefferson was selected to the PFWA’s 2022 All-NFL and All-NFC teams.
Bosa, in his fourth season, is the PFWA’s Defensive Player of the Year for the first time, and the honor is the third by a 49ers player (CB Deion Sanders; 1994 and DT Dana Stubblefield; 1997) since the award was instituted in 1992. He is the first defensive end to win the award since Jacksonville’s Calais Campbell in 2017, and he is the 12th overall defensive end presented the PFWA Defensive Player of the Year honor.
Bosa started and played in 16 games, and he led the NFL with 18.5 sacks (second-most in franchise history) and 49 quarterback hits. He posted 51 total tackles (41 solo), 19 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a pass defense. He posted at least one sack in 13 games, including a season-high three sacks against Miami in Week 13, and he registered five games with multiple sack totals. He was the NFC Defensive Player of the Week twice in Weeks 13 and 16, and he earned the NFC Defensive Player of the Month award for November. Bosa was selected to the PFWA’s 2022 All-NFL and All-NFC teams.
2022 MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
2022 OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: WR Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
2022 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: DE Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers
PFWA NFL MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: 1966 – Bart Starr, Green Bay Packers; 1967-74 – no selections; 1975 – QB Fran Tarkenton, Minnesota Vikings; 1976 – QB Bert Jones, Baltimore Colts; 1977 – RB Walter Payton, Chicago Bears; 1978 – RB Earl Campbell, Houston Oilers; 1979 – RB Earl Campbell, Houston Oilers; 1980 – QB Brian Sipe, Cleveland Browns; 1981 – QB Ken Anderson, Cincinnati Bengals; 1982 – QB Dan Fouts, San Diego Chargers; 1983 – QB Joe Theismann, Washington Redskins; 1984 – QB Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins; 1985 – RB Marcus Allen, Los Angeles Raiders; 1986 – LB Lawrence Taylor, New York Giants; 1987 – WR Jerry Rice, San Francisco 49ers; 1988 – QB Boomer Esiason, Cincinnati Bengals; 1989 – QB Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers; 1990 – QB Randall Cunningham, Philadelphia Eagles; 1991 – RB Thurman Thomas, Buffalo Bills; 1992 – QB Steve Young, San Francisco 49ers; 1993 – RB Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys; 1994 – QB Steve Young, San Francisco 49ers; 1995 – QB Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers; 1996 – QB Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers; 1997 – RB Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions; 1998 – RB Terrell Davis, Denver Broncos; 1999 – QB Kurt Warner, St. Louis Rams; 2000 – RB Marshall Faulk, St. Louis Rams; 2001 – RB Marshall Faulk, St. Louis Rams; 2002 – QB Rich Gannon, Oakland Raiders; 2003 – RB Jamal Lewis, Baltimore Ravens; 2004 – QB Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts; 2005 – RB Shaun Alexander, Seattle Seahawks; 2006 – RB LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers; 2007 – QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots; 2008 – QB Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts; 2009 – QB Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts; 2010 – QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots; 2011 – QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers; 2012 – RB Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings; 2013 – QB Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos; 2014 – QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers; 2015 – QB Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers; 2016 – QB Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons; 2017 – QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots; 2018 – QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs; 2019 – QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens; 2020 – QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers; 2021 – QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers; 2022 – QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs.
PFWA OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: 1992 — QB Steve Young, San Francisco 49ers; 1993 — RB Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys; 1994 — QB Steve Young, San Francisco 49ers; 1995 — QB Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers; 1996 — QB Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers; 1997 — RB Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions; 1998 — RB Barry Sanders, Detroit Lions; 1999 — QB Kurt Warner, St. Louis Rams; 2000 — RB Marshall Faulk, St. Louis Rams; 2001 — RB Marshall Faulk, St. Louis Rams; 2002 — QB Rich Gannon, Oakland Raiders; 2003 — RB Jamal Lewis, Baltimore Ravens; 2004 — QB Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts; 2005 — RB Shaun Alexander, Seattle Seahawks; 2006 — RB LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego Chargers; 2007 — QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots; 2008 — QB Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts; 2009 — QB Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts; 2010 — QB Tom Brady, New England Patriots; 2011 — QB Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers; 2012 — RB Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings; 2013 — QB Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos; 2014 — RB DeMarco Murray, Dallas Cowboys; 2015 — QB Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers; 2016 — QB Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons; 2017 — RB Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams; 2018 — QB Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs; 2019 — QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens; 2020 — RB Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans; 2021 – WR Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams; 2022 – WR Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings.
PFWA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: 1992 — DT Cortez Kennedy, Seattle Seahawks; 1993 — DE Bruce Smith, Buffalo Bills; 1994 — CB Deion Sanders, San Francisco 49ers; 1995 — LB Bryce Paup, Buffalo Bills; 1996 — DE Bruce Smith, Buffalo Bills; 1997 — DT Dana Stubblefield, San Francisco 49ers; 1998 — DE Reggie White, Green Bay Packers; 1999 — DT Warren Sapp, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 2000 — LB Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens; 2001 — DE Michael Strahan, New York Giants; 2002 — LB Derrick Brooks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 2003 — LB Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens; 2004 — S Ed Reed, Baltimore Ravens; 2005 — LB Brian Urlacher, Chicago Bears; 2006 — DE Jason Taylor, Miami Dolphins; 2007 — S Bob Sanders, Indianapolis Colts; 2008 — LB James Harrison, Pittsburgh Steelers; 2009 — CB Charles Woodson, Green Bay Packers; 2010 — LB Clay Matthews, Green Bay Packers; 2011 — LB Terrell Suggs, Baltimore Ravens; 2012 — DE J.J. Watt, Houston Texans; 2013 — DE Robert Quinn, St. Louis Rams; 2014 — DE J.J. Watt, Houston Texans; 2015 — DE J.J. Watt, Houston Texans; 2016 — DE Khalil Mack, Oakland Raiders; 2017 — DE Calais Campbell, Jacksonville Jaguars; 2018 — DT Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams; 2019 — CB Stephon Gilmore, New England Patriots; 2020 — DT Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams; 2021 – LB T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers; 2022 – DE Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers.
