National Football League

Patrick Mahomes, Justin Jefferson highlight NFL on FOX 2022 fan vote awards

Updated Feb. 4, 2023 1:19 p.m. ET

The NFL community will have to wait until Feb. 9 to find out who will take home the league's marquee awards for the 2022 season, including MVP, defensive player of the year, and offensive and defensive rookies of the year.

NFL fans, however, got to vote this week on who they would choose for the awards through the NFL on FOX Twitter account. Those results were revealed in a special presentation Thursday by FOX Sports' Chris Myers and Mark Sanchez.

Fans voted on eight categories, including MVP, coach of the year, defensive player of the year, offensive player of the year (non-quarterback), offensive rookie of the year, defensive rookie of the year, comeback player of the year and game of the year.

Here are the winners of the 2022 NFL on FOX fan vote awards!

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers (36% vote share on Twitter)

Mr. Irrelevant is irrelevant no more. Purdy, the final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, came on in relief of the injured Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 13 and started the rest of the year — helping the 49ers win their remaining five regular-season games as well as defeating the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs. Purdy suffered a torn UCL in his throwing arm early in the 49ers' NFC Championship Game loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but the rookie's improbable rise will be remembered as one of the defining stories of the 2022 season.

49ers QB Brock Purdy wins 'NFL on FOX' Offensive Rookie Of The Year

Mark Sanchez and Chris Myers awarded San Francisco 49ers' QB Brock Purdy with the "NFL on FOX" Offensive Rookie Of The Year Award.

Runners-Up: Garrett Wilson, New York Jets (24.8%); Kenneth Walker III, Seattle Seahawks (22.4%); Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Steelers (16.8%)

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Sauce Gardner, New York Jets (47.1%)

Both Gardner and fellow rookie cornerback Tariq Woolen of the Seahawks made strong cases for this award. Woolen's six interceptions tied for the league lead this past season, but Gardner established himself as a dynamic all-around cornerback with an NFL-high 20 passes defensed and two interceptions of his own. Gardner has already cemented himself as the jewel of the Jets' young core of exciting players, echoing Darrelle Revis' role from the last time Gang Green was a serious playoff contender.

Jets CB Sauce Gardner wins 'NFL on FOX' Defensive Rookie Of The Year

Mark Sanchez and Chris Myers awarded Sauce Gardner with the 'NFL on FOX' Defensive Rookie Of The Year Award.

Runners-Up: Tariq Woolen, Seattle Seahawks (25.6%); Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions (15.9%); Kayvon Thibodeaux, New York Giants (11.3%)

Coach of the year: Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles (42.9%)

Sure, the Eagles have a loaded roster, but Sirianni deserves credit for getting the most out of it, in just his second year as a head coach. The former Colts offensive coordinator has rewarded Philadelphia's decision to fire Super Bowl winner Doug Pederson — he was also a finalist for this award in his first year with the Jaguars — and bring in a younger staff. It's one helmed by the 41-year-old Sirianni who has the franchise playing for another Lombardi Trophy.

[Nick Sirianni and the Eagles have bloomed together on their ascent to Super Bowl]

Eagles' Nick Sirianni wins 'NFL on FOX' Coach of the Year

Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni won the "NFL on FOX" coach of the year award presented by Mark Sanchez and Chris Myers.

Runners-Up: Brian Daboll, New York Giants (29.4%); Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars (18.6%); Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers (9.1%)

Comeback Player of the Year: Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (59.5%)

Many wrote Smith off after he flamed out with the Jets. But as Smith said after he and the Seahawks beat their former franchise quarterback Russell Wilson in Week 1, he didn't write back. Smith actually led the NFL in completion percentage and broke the Seahawks' single-season passing yards record, helping them to a 9-8 record and playoff berth that came as a surprise to many. That notably includes FOX Sports' own Jason McIntyre, who had to get a Seahawks logo shaved into his head as a result. Wilson also congratulated his former backup on the award.

Seahawks QB Geno Smith wins 'NFL on FOX' Comeback Player of the Year

Mark Sanchez and Chris Myers awarded Seattle Seahawks' QB Geno Smith with the comeback player of the year award.

Runners-Up: Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers (26.9%); Saquon Barkley, New York Giants (20.5%); Jared Goff, Detroit Lions (5.7%)

Game of the Year: Week 10 Minnesota Vikings vs. Buffalo Bills (66.9%)

This vote was a landslide, and for good reason. The midseason thriller had everything from dramatic catches, shocking lead changes and costly turnovers to other unbelievable moments, as two eventual playoff teams squared off in Buffalo. Josh Allen and Bills fans may want to forget this game, but Justin Jefferson's incredible fourth-quarter catch on fourth-and-18 and Patrick Peterson's game-sealing interception in overtime will remain in Vikings fans' minds for years to come.

Vikings vs. Bills wins 'NFL on FOX' game of the year

The game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Buffalo Bills in Week 10 was named game of the year by "NFL on FOX".

Runners-Up: Week 2 Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens (18.7%); Week 10 Dallas Cowboys at Green Bay Packers (8.8%); Week 11 Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers (5.6%)

Defensive Player of the Year: Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers (45.5%)

The 49ers defense was arguably the most feared in the NFL in 2022, and the younger Bosa brother led the charge with a whopping league-high 18.5 sacks in the regular season. Bosa anchored a ferocious defensive front that kept quarterbacks under pressure all game long and could shut down offenses in multiple ways. Defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans recently left to be the next Houston Texans head coach, but with Bosa front and center, San Francisco's defensive prowess is likely here to stay.

49ers' Nick Bosa wins 'NFL on FOX' Defensive Player of the Year

San Francisco 49ers' Nick Bosa won the "NFL on FOX" Defensive Player of the Year Award presented by Mark Sanchez and Chris Myers.

Runners-Up: Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys (29.9%); Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs (17.9%); Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns (6.7%)

Offensive Player of the Year (non-QB): Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings (65%)

In the modern NFL, the true "offensive player of the year" is most likely a) a quarterback and, b) going to win MVP. So we at NFL on FOX have taken the liberty of excluding quarterbacks from this category since — spoiler alert — all our MVP finalists are quarterbacks anyway. That leaves Jefferson as the clear winner for this award, with the LSU product having fully established himself as a superstar. Jefferson had a league-high 128 receptions and 1,809 receiving yards in 2022, helping the Vikings reach the playoffs for the first time in his career.

Vikings' Justin Jefferson wins 'NFL on FOX' Non-QB Offensive Player of the Year

Minnesota Vikings' Justin Jefferson won the "NFL on FOX" Non-QB Offensive Player of the Year presented by Chris Myers and Mark Sanchez.

Runners-Up: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs (15.4%); Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers (12.9%); Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins (6.9%)

MVP: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (46.9%)

No surprise here. There are plenty of young, exciting, immensely talented quarterbacks in the NFL, but Mahomes stands above them all, regardless of whether he wins his second Super Bowl on Feb. 12. Mahomes led the NFL in passing yards (5,250), touchdowns (41) and QBR (77.6) in 2022. The last time he led the league in touchdowns and QBR was 2018 — when he won his first career MVP.

[Patrick Mahomes: Matching Tom Brady’s level ‘seems impossible’]