- Matthew Stafford takes home the MVP Award: The 37-year-old quarterback enters the postseason leading the NFL in PFF grade (93.3), the highest mark of his career. He also led the league in Wins Above Replacement (4.11), more than a half-win ahead of all other players, and finished the regular season as the NFL leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns and big throws.
- Aidan Hutchinson is comeback player of the year: Hutchinson finished in the top five at his position in overall PFF grade, PFF pass-rush grade, pass-rush winning percentage, sacks, quarterback hits and forced fumbles, and he would have been a serious candidate for Defensive Player of the Year if not for Myles Garrett’s record-breaking season.
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For the 2025 season, PFF’s awards and All-Pro selections were determined through the most rigorous process the company has used to date. A six-person voting panel – split equally between PFF’s data team and media staff – combined quantitative insight with on-the-ground evaluation to ensure shared ownership and balanced decision-making.
The result is a comprehensive set of prizes that reflect both the numbers behind the game and the context needed to understand them.
MVP: QB Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
The 37-year-old quarterback enters the postseason leading the NFL in PFF grade (93.3), the highest mark of his career. He also led the league in Wins Above Replacement (4.11), more than a half-win ahead of all other players, and finished the regular season as the NFL leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns and big throws.
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Dwight Stephenson Award: EDGE Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
Garrett earned his fifth consecutive PFF overall season-high grade above 90.0 in 2025. He has finished first among all qualifying defensive players overall in PFF in every season since 2022, after finishing second in 2021 (92.1), behind Aaron Donald.
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Offensive Player of the Year: WR Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
For the second consecutive season, Nacua led all receivers in overall PFF grade, followed by his impressive 92.8 grade in 2024 with a 96.3 grade, breaking a record set by Tyreek Hill (93.7) in 2023.
In just his third NFL season, Nacua has etched his name in the history books. His 97.4 PFF overall grade against the Cardinals in Week 14 now ranks as the highest-rated single-game performance by a receiver in the PFF era (since 2006). But the accolades don’t stop there, as he claimed not one, but two spots in PFF’s 10 highest-rated games ever by a wide margin.
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Defensive Player of the Year: EDGE Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
For the fourth year in a row, Garrett has claimed the honor of being the highest-rated defensive player in the NFL after posting a 92.7 PFF overall grade this season. Each of these four campaigns ranks in the top 12 among all qualifying defensive linemen in the PFF era (since 2006).
The NFL’s new single-season sack leader is the league’s gold standard as a pass rusher, with his record-breaking 23.0 sacks 6.5 sacks higher than any other player in 2025. But it’s not just plays that end in a sack that make Garrett a productive pass rusher; it’s the consistency with which he makes his presence felt. Thanks to a 24.6% pass-rush winning percentage, Garrett led the NFL with a PFF pass-rush grade of 93.3.
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Rookie of the Year: WR Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina Panthers
McMillan finished his 2025 campaign with 1,044 receiving yards on 70 catches from 122 targets, playing and starting in all 17 regular season games. Among all wide receivers, his total yards and targets ranked 15th, and he ranked 34th in receptions. Among rookies, he ranked first in receiving yards and targets, and he finished third in total receptions (behind tight ends Tyler Warren and Harold Fannin Jr.).
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Protector of the Year: T Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions
Sewell has been among the three highest-rated offensive tackles in each of the past three seasons and led the position in overall PFF scoring in both 2023 and 2025. He did so with a more balanced profile this year, earning a PFF pass-blocking grade above 80.0 for the first time in his career.
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Best defenseman: DI Quinnen Williams, Dallas Cowboys
The New York Jets traded Williams to the Dallas Cowboys at the deadline, and he still produced the NFL’s best season against the run.
He led all interior defensemen in PFF run-defense grade (91.7) and finished 7.4 points ahead of the next-best player at the position, while ranking second in tackles, resulting defensive stop (31) and run-stop percentage (14.0%). Most impressively, his average tackle depth of 0.7 meters was half a meter better than the next best interior defender.
Best passer: QB Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
At 37 years old, Matthew Stafford is putting together the most complete past season of his career. He led the NFL in PFF grade (93.3) and separated from the field with 47 big throws, 16 more than any other quarterback.
Despite the narrative surrounding his short-yardage touchdowns, Stafford produced plenty of success on the field. On deep throws, he ranked first in completions (40), passing yards (1,270) and passing touchdowns (11).
Breakout Player of the Year: QB Drake Maye, New England Patriots
After finishing second behind Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford for PFF Most Valuable Player honors, Maye still took home the PFF Breakout Player of the Year. The second-year quarterback ranked third among all quarterbacks in PFF overall grade (90.1) and ranked eighth in big-time throw percentage (4.9%).
He also ranked 11th in turnover-worthy play percentage (2.7%) and ranked third among all players in total positively graded plays (205), finishing the season with seven games earning a PFF overall grade of 80.0 or higher.
Best Pass Rusher: EDGE Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
Myles Garrett’s record-breaking 23rd sack in the final minutes of Week 18 capped off another dominant season and made him the clear pick for PFF Best Pass Rusher in 2025 for the fourth straight year.
Garrett led the NFL in PFF pass-rush grade (93.3), while ranking second in pass-rush winning percentage (24.6%) and fourth in total pressures (84). He accomplished that as the only edge defender to be double-teamed on more than 50% of his pass-rush snaps and chipped in more than 20%, a trend that has continued to grow over time as he has been double-teamed or chipped on 74% of his pass-rush snaps over the past two weeks.
Garrett is now poised to earn his seventh All-Pro selection and second Defensive Player of the Year award.
Comeback Player of the Year: EDGE Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions
It’s remarkable to think that Hutchinson broke his leg during the 2024 season considering what he accomplished in 2025, when he led all players in total pressure (100).
He finished in the top five in overall PFF grade, PFF pass-rush grade, pass-rush winning percentage, sacks, quarterback hits, and forced fumbles, and would have been a serious candidate for Defensive Player of the Year if it weren’t for Myles Garrett’s record-breaking season.
Best Run Blocker: T Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions
The 2025 season was further proof that Penei Sewell is a generational blocker. He led the NFL in PFF run-blocking grade (96.8), marking his third straight season with a run-blocking grade above 90.0 and the second-highest single-season grade in PFF history.
On run plays, Sewell led the league in positively rated run play percentage (21.9%) and ranked first in wide blocks. His dominance peaked in Week 3, when he posted a PFF run-blocking grade of 99.3, the best single-game run-blocking performance in the PFF era. The All-PFF first-team tackle recorded eight single-game run-blocking grades of 85.0 or better, the most of any player this season.
Best pass blocker: T Garett Bolles, Denver Broncos
Denver’s Garett Bolles was a serious contender for Protector of the Year after a strong campaign that saw him lead all offensive linemen in PFF pass-blocking grade (90.8) and rank first among offensive tackles in pressure rate allowed (3.1%). He was also the only remaining tackle to play at least 230 pass-blocking snaps (714 of them) without allowing a sack.
Best Special Teamer: P Daniel Whelan, Green Bay Packers
The Packers’ punter led all players at the position in overall PFF grade (90.4), and his 51.6 yards per attempt was the best among all punters with 25 or more punts this season. He also ranked in the top five in average hang time and net yards per punt, which earned him a spot on the PFF All-Pro team and led to PFF’s award for the NFL’s best special teamer.
Best Receiver: WR Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
It’s hard to argue there’s been a better wide receiver than Puka Nacua since he entered the league, and his 2025 season cemented his status as the NFL’s top receiving option.
Nacua’s 2025 campaign placed him firmly in the PFF record books. He led all wide receivers in overall PFF grade with 96.3, the highest grade PFF has ever achieved at the position, while ranking third in yards per route run (3.71) and setting a PFF record with 27 contested catches.
Alignment and opacity didn’t matter. Nacua led all receivers in PFF in receiving grade from the slot and ranked first against both man and zone coverage in 2025. He also finished the season as the league’s most valuable non-quarterback, according to PFF Wins Above Replacement.
Best coverage defender: S Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens
Kyle Hamilton set the standard for coverage defenders in 2025, finishing first among all players in PFF’s advanced coverage grade, narrowly trailing Cooper DeJean. He combined that elite grade with a PFF coverage grade of 84.3, four pass breakups and a 64.95% lockdown rate, the third-best grade among all defensemen and easily the best grade among safeties.
Best Offensive Line: Denver Broncos
Unlike last year, the Broncos’ offensive line dealt with several injuries in 2025. Left guard Ben Powers missed an extended period, while center Luke Wattenberg’s season ended prematurely. However, the unit still performed well thanks to solid performances from Alex Palczewski at left guard and Alex Forsyth at center.
For the second straight season, the Broncos fielded the most efficient pass blocking offensive line. Denver’s unit gave up 137 pressures, including a league-high six sacks, leading to a PFF pass blocking efficiency rating of 89.5. The Broncos line was the only unit to allow fewer than 13 sacks this season.
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