Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who threw for a career-high 3,678 yards and rushed for 821 yards to become the first player with multiple 3,000/800 seasons, is the 2023 NFL Most Valuable Player chosen in voting conducted by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA).
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, who led the NFL with 1,459 rushing yards, is the league’s Offensive Player of the Year.
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, who reached double digits in sacks for the sixth consecutive season with 14, is the PFWA’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Jackson, the 50th MVP honored by the PFWA, wins the award for the second time (2019), and he is the ninth player in NFL history to win multiple PFWA MVP awards. Jackson is the 11th consecutive quarterback selected MVP by the PFWA and the 34th QB to win the award overall. The Ravens have won three PFWA MVP awards all time with Jackson (2019, 2023) and RB Jamal Lewis (2003).
Jackson, in his sixth NFL season, started 16 games, completed 307 of 457 passes for 3,678 yards, career-highs in completion percentage (67.2) and yards per completion (8.0), 24 touchdowns and a 102.7 passer rating (fourth in the NFL) to lead the Ravens to the AFC No. 1 seed. He rushed 148 times for a team-leading 821 yards (5.5 yards per carry – second in the NFL) and five touchdowns. He led a Ravens offense that ranked fourth in scoring (28.4 points per game), and sixth in total offense (370.4 yards per game). He threw for 300 or more yards three times and rushed for 50 or more yards in seven games. The seven 50-yard rush games gave Jackson 54 in his career, tying Michael Vick for most by a quarterback in NFL history. Jackson also became the first quarterback in league history to rush for 700 or more yards in five consecutive seasons. He was the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for Weeks 7 and 17. Jackson was selected to the PFWA’s 2023 All-NFL and All-AFC teams.
McCaffrey, in his seventh NFL season, is the second 49ers player to receive the PFWA’s Offensive Player of the Year since the award was instituted in 1992 (QB Steve Young; 1992 and 1994) and he is the first running back to win the award since Todd Gurley (Los Angeles Rams) in 2017.
McCaffrey started 16 games and rushed 272 times for 1,459 yards and a franchise-record 14 touchdowns, and he also caught 67 passes for 564 yards and seven TDs for the NFC No. 1 seed 49ers. He led the NFL in scrimmage yards with 2,023 and tied for the league lead in total touchdowns with 21. McCaffrey also led the NFL with seven 100-yard rushing games. He became the first player since Emmitt Smith in 1995 to lead the NFL in rushing after every week of the season. McCaffrey led the NFL with 48 big plays (44 rushing of 10+ yards and four receptions of 20+ yards). He scored a touchdown in each of the first eight games of the season, the first in the NFL to accomplish the feat since Gurley in 2018. McCaffrey was the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for Week 4, and the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September and December/January. He was selected to the PFWA’s 2023 All-NFL and All-NFC teams.
Garrett, in his seventh season, is the PFWA’s Defensive Player of the Year for the first time, and the honor is the first by a Browns player since the award was instituted in 1992. He is the second consecutive defensive end to win the award, and he is the 13th overall defensive end presented the PFWA Defensive Player of the Year honor.
Garrett started 16 games, and he had a team-high 14 sacks, four forced fumbles and 42 total tackles (33 solo). He added 17 tackles for loss and 30 quarterback hits. He is the only active NFL player with 10 or more sacks in each of the last six seasons, and he became the seventh player in NFL history to accomplish that feat over any six-season period. Garrett was the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 7 when the Browns won on the road 39-38 at Indianapolis as he posted nine total tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, one pass defensed and blocked a field goal. He was selected to the PFWA’s 2023 All-NFL and All-AFC teams.
2023 MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
2023 OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: RB Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
2023 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: DE Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns
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; 2023 – QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens.
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; 2023 – RB Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers.
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; 2023 – DE Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns.
ABOUT THE PFWA: In its 60th season in 2023, the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA) is the official voice of pro football writers, promoting and fighting for access to NFL personnel to best serve the public. The PFWA is made up of accredited writers who cover the NFL and the 32 teams