LSU will be well-represented in the upcoming NFL Honors in early February.
Former Tiger players and coaches are on the ballot for numerous awards, ranging from MVP to Offensive Rookie of the Year to Assistant Coach of the Year. Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr., Joe Burrow, and Ja’Marr Chase are the players running to win these awards. Joe Brady is the lone coach to be in the final running for Assistant Coach of the Year.
The rookie trio of Daniels, Nabers, and Thomas are competing against one another for Offensive Rookie of the Year. The player with the strongest case for the award would go to Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels as he completed 69% of his pass attempts for 3,568 yards, and 25 touchdowns compared to nine interceptions. The 24-year-old also rushed for 891 yards and six touchdowns as he led his team to a 12-5 regular season record and is one win away from representing the NFC in the upcoming Super Bowl. This is also the first time Washington has gotten this far in the playoffs since the 1991 season; that was also the last time the Commanders won a Super Bowl.
Malik Nabers rewrote the record books in his first season as a pro. After being selected sixth overall by the New York Giants, Nabers instantly became the focal point of their offense. In 15 games, the former Comeaux High Spartan etched his name into the rookie record books multiple times, breaking the single-season reception record for a wide receiver with 109, beating out last year’s rookie phenom Puka Nacua, who had 105 catches. Nabers was also the most targeted rookie ever as the football was thrown his way 170 times. The 21-year-old finished the season with 1,204 receiving yards and seven touchdowns in 2024.
The other former Bayou Bengal to be up for the Offensive Rookie of the Year award is Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr. After being selected with the 23rd overall pick in this last draft, Thomas had a modest role, ranging between four and nine targets per contest through his first 11 games. The final six games were a different story as Thomas received a minimum of 10 targets each game and finished the season strong. By the end of the regular season, the 22-year-old from Walker, Louisiana posted 87 receptions, 1,282 yards, and 10 touchdowns in his first season as a pro.
Joe Burrow is on the ballot for multiple awards after a strong fifth season, having good odds for NFL MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and Comeback Player of the Year. Burrow’s 2023 campaign was cut seven games short after suffering a Grade 1 tear in a ligament in his right wrist.
Burrow Cincinnati Bengals just missed out on the playoffs but that didn’t prevent him from returning and having his best season yet. In 2024, the former number-one pick completed 70.6% of his 652 pass attempts for 4,918 yards. Burrow also threw a career-high in touchdown passes with 43 and recorded nine interceptions in 17 games played. The former Heisman winner and National Champion would have a stronger case to win MVP if the Bengals finished higher than the eight-seed in the conference standings.
Burrow’s partner in crime is also a candidate for Offensive Player of the Year. Ja’Marr Chase stepped up his play and stayed healthy this year, resulting in the best season by a wide receiver since 2021. Chase became one of just 13 pass catchers in NFL history to be a Triple Crown Winner, leading the league in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. In 2024, Chase hauled in 127 of 175 passes thrown his way for 1,708 yards and reached pay dirt 17 times. The last time a player was a Triple Crown Winner was three years ago when Cooper Kupp nearly eclipsed 2,000 receiving years.
The final former Tiger is a coach. Joe Brady established himself as a legit assistant coach, helping Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills advance to the AFC Championship. Brady was the Passing Game Coordinator for LSU during their 2019 National Championship run and has since bounced around to a couple of different spots in the NFL.
The 35-year-old took over as the Offensive Coordinator for the Bills in 2024 and coached quarterback Josh Allen into his best touchdown-interception ratio season as a pro, leading to a strong possibility of winning this year’s NFL MVP award. The job that Brady’s done has garnered the attention of several teams wanting him to be their next head coach. One of those teams is the New Orleans Saints, who plan to have a second interview with the long-time assistant next week, following Buffalo’s Conference Championship game versus the Kansas City Chiefs.
