The NFL Honors might not take place until Thursday, but Tom Brady is ready to settle all the big award debates now.
Brady announced the recipients of his LFG Awards for the 2025 NFL season on Sunday. The seven-time Super Bowl winner and three-time MVP dished out nine awards, making some traditional awards picks. But he also had a few non-traditional award selections, naming his Sixth Round Pick of the Year, Call of the Year and Best Value Player of the Year.
“I know this goes up there with some of the greatest awards in award season,” Brady said of his LFG Awards.
So, without further ado, here are Brady’s LFG Awards for the 2025 NFL season.
Tom Brady’s LFG Awards 🏆
LFG Player of the Year: Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams
Brady didn’t name an MVP, but his LFG Player of the Year is the closest thing to it. And for that honor, he believes that Stafford was the Player of the Year.
“I covered him a bunch this year. I was so impressed by what he did the entire season,” Brady said of Stafford. “I think his consistency was incredible. He showed up in the biggest moments for his teammates. He made throws so few guys in the NFL could make. They did it in tough conditions. Look, they play in a dome out there in SoFi, but he went on the road and they were great on the road. They were great in the wind. He had his main guys go down a few times. Puka [Nacua] was down. Davante [Adams]was down. And he all the time discovered methods to provide. He had an unbelievable touchdown-to-interception ratio. He was absurd.”
Stafford ended the common season as the favourite to win MVP, having the most effective season of his 17-year profession. He led the league in passing yards (4,707) and passing touchdowns (46), main the Rams to a 12-5 document and an NFC title recreation look.
Brady additionally had a few honorable mentions for the award, naming Seattle Seahawks broad receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Buffalo Payments working again James Prepare dinner in that group. Happily for Smith-Njigba, he is taking residence another {hardware} as an alternative …
Whereas Brady had a transparent winner for many of his awards, there have been a few awards for which he felt he could not choose only one particular person. LFG Offensive Participant of the Yr was one among them.
“I do know, it is too onerous to select between the 2 of them, however they’re each phenomenal. On a staff, if you’re the quarterback, you like having two of those guys. Not only one. Puka, what can I say about him? Great catches, his physique management, yards after catch, these suction cup arms of his — he is made a number of the most ridiculous performs this season.
“Then, JSN, had a 100-plus catches, one-handed catches within the [NFC] Championship Recreation, massive catches and landing catches. He was [Sam] Darnold’s, I do not even wish to say security blanket. He was an explosive participant. He did every thing for that staff within the go recreation.”
Smith-Njigba and Nacua each completed the common season because the favorites to win Offensive Participant of the Yr. They have been additionally every named as unanimous choices to the AP All-Professional first staff.
Smith-Njigba and Nacua additionally confirmed out in final week’s NFC Championship Recreation. The Seahawks star had 10 catches for 153 yards and a landing within the win, whereas the Rams’ receiver logged 9 grabs for 165 yards and a landing.
LFG Defensive Participant of the Yr: Myles Garrett, edge rusher, Cleveland Browns
In contrast to with LFG Offensive Participant of the Yr, Brady’s choose for LFG Defensive Participant of the Yr was clear.
“[Garrett] broke my buddy Michael Strahan’s document, which is totally insane,” Brady mentioned. “The influence he has on each recreation is second-to-none. He is only a hard-working man, Myles is. For a man that will get as a lot consideration by each offensive coordinator — when it comes to gameplanning, tackles, chip blocks — what are you going to do to this man? He is acquired an incredible motor, and he knocks folks out.”
Garrett was the catalyst of a Browns‘ protection that was among the best in soccer. As Brady talked about, Garrett’s 23 sacks this season gave him the single-season sack document. He additionally had three video games the place he recorded no less than three sacks, together with a three-sack outing in opposition to the Patriots in Week 8.
There was one other participant Brady needed to present props to, although.
“I wish to give like to my man Micah Parsons, too,” Brady mentioned. “I do know he performed unbelievable all through your entire season. On the level he acquired injured and tore his ACL, he led the league in pressures. So, that might’ve been one thing particular down the stretch.”
For Brady, McMillan was a transparent option to win the LFG Offensive Rookie of the Yr.
“I did not cowl lots of Carolina video games, however what I noticed from him was a dynamic means to get open, catch the ball down the sphere, explosive performs and ball possession performs,” Brady mentioned. “He actually rose to the event. There have been some questions popping out of the draft. However I feel he confirmed to everybody what he is all about with a monster 12 months.”
McMillan led all rookies in receiving yards (1,014) and receiving touchdowns (seven) as he ranked within the top-15 within the league in each classes. That helped the Panthers change into one of many NFL’s shock groups this season and win the NFC South
However there may be one other offensive rookie Brady needed to tip his cap to.
“I lined lots of Bears video games and watched this offense carry out, and Kyle Monangai as a seventh-round choose, I saved saying sixth-round choose on the air … he ran so onerous, so forceful and decided,” Brady mentioned. “He was like a dynamo again there. Each time Caleb [Williams] handed the ball off to him, he was working by folks’s facemasks. I like that fashion of play. You had an amazing 12 months, Kyle.”
Monangai ran for 783 yards on 4.6 yards per carry and 5 touchdowns, serving to the Bears win the NFC North behind one of many league’s high speeding assaults.
LFG Defensive Rookie of the Yr: Nick Emmanwori, S, Seattle Seahawks
Brady did not name any Seahawks video games till the playoffs, however Emmanwori left such a robust impression on him that he felt he had no selection however to call the security his LFG Defensive Participant of the Yr.
“There’s some nice competitors on the market, however the man that I’ve lined the final two weeks on Seattle’s protection, who does all of it. He is sort of a joker on the market. They play him as mainly a nickel defender and so they go away him on the market: Nick Emmanwori, what an animal this man is,” Brady mentioned. “He is massive. He is quick. He is bodily. He made some game-changing performs final Sunday within the championship recreation — masking folks, knocking balls away, go protection, tackles within the run recreation, aggressive in his run suits. This man has a really shiny future.”
Emmanwori was tenth in tackles amongst rookies (81 mixed tackles) to go along with 2.5 sacks. Whereas Emmanwori has had a robust postseason, his Week 14 efficiency in opposition to the Atlanta Falcons was one for the ages. He had two tackles for loss, a sack, a blocked subject purpose and an interception in that recreation, displaying his all-around means.
Coach of the Yr appears to be essentially the most hotly contested of the key awards this season, and Brady views it the identical means. He picked 4 coaches as his LFG Coach of the Yr.
“Ben Johnson in Chicago, [what] a ridiculous 12 months. How he taught Caleb [Williams] the offense he needed to run, play to the ability units of the blokes was insane,” Brady mentioned of the Bears head coach’s first season in Chicago, main his staff to an 11-6 document and an NFC North title.
Brady additionally shouted out Macdonald and Coen, who led their respective groups to division titles as effectively.
“We even have Mike Macdonald in Seattle, who’s carried out essentially the most unbelievable job with that protection, suffocating opponents week-in, week-out,” Brady mentioned. “Seventeen factors [allowed] per recreation, that is completely absurd. And the respect your gamers have for you.
“Liam Coen, one 12 months as a coordinator in Tampa, strikes onto to Jacksonville and has an unbelievable season with Trevor Lawrence in that offense. So many nice, younger coaches on this league.”
The Seahawks did not have as dramatic a turnaround because the Jaguars this 12 months, however as Brady mentioned, they have been one of many league’s most dominant groups in 2025. The Seahawks went 14-3 within the common season, with Macdonald’s defensive thoughts serving to their protection lead the league in scoring. Offensively, Macdonald’s resolution to rent Klint Kubiak as offensive coordinator paid main dividends as Sam Darnold had one other robust 12 months to assist the Seahawks attain the Tremendous Bowl.
Lastly, Brady additionally acknowledged Vrabel as one among his 4 recipients for LFG Coach of the Yr as he is helped the Patriots go from back-to-back 4-13 seasons to taking part in within the Tremendous Bowl.
“Vrabes, you are like my brother,” Brady mentioned. “I like ya, I am so happy with ya. Regardless that you went to Ohio State, your caliber of decision-making was questionable again then, you’ve got change into an incredible teammate of mine and a Tremendous Bowl champion. To not point out an incredible purpose line, and I am simply going to say a purpose line, broad receiver. You did not do something exterior of the 1-yard line. So, you are not that good as a large receiver, however you are a hell of a coach.”
And Brady has a message for the coaches he did not honor for LFG Coach of the Yr.
“All you coaches, get your asses again to work,” Brady mentioned. “The season’s over, and the 2026 sesaon’s underway.”
LFG sixth Spherical Choose of the Yr: Quentin Lake, S, Los Angeles Rams
Brady had a few names in thoughts to obtain his LFG Sixth Spherical Choose of the Yr honor.
“[Lake] had an incredible 12 months within the secondary, performed nickel, security, lined guys, zone protection, man protection, blitzing and so they actually missed him when he was out, that Rams protection,” Brady mentioned. “When he was out, their factors per recreation went means up. When he is in, he is the X-factor in that secondary.
“One different man, simply as an honorable point out, Josh Metellus in Brian Flores’ protection. Similar sort of factor, versatile, does lots of issues, pressures, covers, picks, sacks, tackles and so they do all of it. So, do not sleep on these sixth-rounders. They’re diamonds within the tough.”
Lake, a sixth-round choose within the 2022 draft, had 61 complete tackles, one compelled fumble, one fumble restoration and an interception in 10 video games. He was additionally Professional Soccer Focus’ Thirteenth-highest graded security in 2025.
As for Metellus, he had 86 complete tackles and two interceptions, following in Brady’s footsteps as a productive sixth-round choose from Michigan.
Of all of the awards, this is likely to be Brady’s favourite.
“This simply speaks to my coronary heart, simply eager about these guys which are drafted late and are handed over all these instances by these genius scouts and personnel executives that suppose they’ve all of the solutions on a regular basis,” Brady mentioned. “Typically, they only slipped by the cracks into the sixth-round.”
Brady was initially requested to present his LFG Recreation of the Yr, however when he reminisced on which recreation to select, he immediately modified the award to LFG Name of the Yr.
“I am altering this, it ain’t going to be LFG Recreation of the Yr. It will be the LFG Name of the Yr, and that goes to my boy Kevin Burkhardt with that recreation in Week 16, Packers at Bears,” Brady mentioned. “Bears get an onside kick, they rating late, recreation goes to additional time, Caleb Williams drops an absolute dime, in all probability 60, 65 yards within the air with frigid temperatures in big winds drops a dime to DJ Moore. My boy, Kevin Burkhardt, was on the decision, and what? I am not even going to explain it. Play the tape!”
You’ve got acquired it, Tom. This is Burkhardt’s name of the Bears’ game-winning landing from their Week 16 win over the Packers:
“My boy KB with the decision of the 12 months,” Brady mentioned. “I get goosebumps simply eager about it.”
LFG Greatest Worth Participant of the Yr: Nahshon Wright, CB, Chicago Bears
The groups within the league are additionally those that may discover productive expertise at an inexpensive price. The Bears did that this offseason after they signed Wright to a one-year, $1.1 million contract.
“He had an amazing season. He was an absolute turnover machine,” Brady mentioned of Wright. “The Bears, they did not do an incredible job between the 20s. The ball was moved loads. However when it got here to turning the ball over, they have been higher than each staff within the league and he was an enormous motive why. He was intercepting passes, strip sacks, fumbles, fumble recoveries … what I noticed with my eyes is that finest worth participant within the 12 months.
“Congratulations, you’ve got earned your self fairly a contract sooner or later. And shoutout Nashon Wright’s agent, you are going to do fairly effectively, too.”
Wright had a league-leading eight takeaways in 2025, logging 5 interceptions. He was additionally named a Professional Bowler because of his play, serving to him out earlier than he turns into a free agent once more.
