The pre-Super Bowl ritual commenced on February 6th, 2021. The NFL Honor Awards honors the greats in the game of football. The awards are based on what they accomplished throughout the year, how they have contributed to the community, and recognizes the incoming rookies and the impact on their team. 

The Most Valuable Player award is one of the most prestigious awards possibly received by a professional football player. Quarterback Aaron Rodger received this award for his excellence this year as he led his team to a 13-3 record, and came just short of a Superbowl appearance. He recorded 4,299 total passing yards, 48 total touchdown passes, a completion rating of 70.7%. 

The first year in the NFL is always a learning experience for most. Most take some time to become good, but some like quaterback Justin Herbert and defensive end Chase Young made immediate impacts for both teams. Herbert broke the rookie quarterback touchdown, passing for 4,336 yards, and 31 passing touchdowns. Chase Young was nothing shy of a marvelous season as he recorded 7.5 sacks and 44 total tackles. 

“Justin Herbert, yes, because he set records for being a rookie and showed promise. For Chase young I said yes even though I didn’t pay attention to the defensive rookies this year, all I knew was Chase Young was balling so I believe he should have won,“  sophomore Jake Diaz stated.

They say defense wins championships, and Aaron Donald is a reason the NFL agrees! Aaron Donald is a force to be reckoned with on the football field, as he recorded 13.5 sacks and 45 total tackles. He and the Rams defense led the team to an NFC divisional round playoff spot but just fell short, losing to the Packers. 

“I think that T.J. Watt would be a better pick as he was better than Donald in every statistical category other than forced fumbles, though that does not mean I think that Aaron Donald did not have a good season just that T.J. had a better one,“ sophomore Peyton Rieseck stated.