The Bengals and the Rams weren't just the two best teams in the NFL this year, they were also two of the biggest winners during the "NFL Honors" ceremony on Thursday.
On a night where Aaron Rodgers was named NFL MVP for the second straight year, both Super Bowl teams also came away as big winners. On the Bengals' end, they'll be leaving Los Angeles with two awards thanks to Ja'Marr Chase and Joe Burrow. The Bengals receiver took home the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, marking the first time since 1992 that the team has had a player claim that award.
As for Burrow, he earned the Comeback Player of the Year award after beating out Dak Prescott in what was the tightest vote of the night. The Bengals quarterback received 28 out of 50 votes while Prescott ended up just behind him with 21 votes.
Although Prescott didn't get the award, one of his teammates did win something. Not only did Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons get named the Defensive Rookie of the Year, but he also became the first player in NFL history to win the award unanimously.
As for Rodgers, he was voted MVP for the fourth time, trailing just Peyton Manning for the most MVPs in NFL history (Manning, who presented Rodgers with this year's award, was named MVP five times). Rodgers also became just the fifth player to win the award in back-to-back years.
Rodgers, who was in attendance to collect his award, thanked the Packers' front office in his MVP speech. However, that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be returning to Green Bay. In an interview after accepting the award, the Packers QB said "I have not made any decision yet" about his future.
Here's a look at all the awards that were handed out on Thursday night:
Bridgestone Performance Play of the Year: Justin Tucker (66-yard field goal)
If you missed the NFL Honors ceremony, which was hosted by Keegan-Michael Key, you can relive the night by checking out our live blog below.
That's a wrap on this year's NFL Honor ceremony. I hope everyone had fun tonight and please mark your calendar so that you don't forget to hang out with me for next year's ceremony.
Here's a quick rehash of every award that was given out tonight:
AP Most Valuable Player: Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
AP Coach of the Year: Mike Vrabel (Titans)
AP Offensive Player of the Year: Cooper Kupp (Rams)
AP Defensive Player of the Year: T.J. Watt (Steelers)
AP Comeback Player of the Year: Joe Burrow (Bengals)
AP Offensive Rookie of the Year: Ja'Marr Chase (Bengals)
AP Defensive Rookie of the Year: Michah Parsons (Cowboys)
AP Assistant Coach of the year: Dan Quinn (Cowboys)
Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year: Andrew Whiteworth (Rams)
FedEx Air Player of the Year: Tom Brady
FedEx Ground Player of the Year: Jonathan Taylor.
Bridgestone Performance Play of the Year: Justin Tucker (66-yard field goal)
Hall of Fame class: LeRoy Butler, Bryant Young, Sam Mills, Cliff Branch, Richard Seymour, Art McNally, Tony Boselli and Dick Vermeil.
The Walter Payton Man of the Year award goes to Andrew Whitworth. That means the Rams and Bengals will both be walking away with two awards tonight, just three days before they meet in Super Bowl LVI.
Aaron Rodgers started off his MVP speech by thanking everyone in the Packers' front office and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Couldn't tell if it was a "I'm happy where I am" speech or a "you've been great Green Bay, so I'm thanking everyone, but good bye" speech.
Aaron Rodgers is the fifth player in NFL history to win the award back-to-back years.
2020-21: Aaron Rodgers
2008-09: Peyton Manning
2003-04: Peyton Manning
1995-97: Brett Favre
1989-90: Joe Montana
1957-58: Jim Brown
Your 2021 NFL MVP IS: AARON RODGERS.
It's fitting that Peyton Manningn announced the award, because Rodgers just won for the fourth time and now joins Manning as the only players in NFL history to win four or more times (Manning won five times).
Peyton Manning is handing out the MVP award!
Cooper Kupp dominated in 2021.
John Madden Memorial now happening.
Kupp is the fourth player in Rams history to take home the offensive player of the year award, joining HOF Eric Dickerson (1986), HOF Marshall Faulk (1999-01) and Todd Gurley (2017).
Cooper Kupp is playing in the Super Bowl in three days, but still found time to show up to accept the offensive player of the year award. Pretty sure this is the first time a player in the Super Bowl has accepted an award in-person.
Your 2021 Offensive Player of the Year is: COOPER KUPP.
Jimmy Kimmel and Cousin Sal have just shown up to hand out an award.
Mike Vrabel ran away with the coach of the year award
Big awards still to come: MVP and offensive player of the year.
Another Hall of Fame snub: Zach Thomas
If you're wondering why Zac Taylor didn't win, it's because the voting for these awards are done BEFORE the playoffs start, so the Bengals Super Bowl run wasn't taken into consideration.
Here's what Mike Vrabel did this season:
NFL-record 8 wins vs teams with winning record
Derrick Henry missed final nine regular season games, but Titans still get a one-seed for first time since 2008
NFL-record 91 different players used this season
The 2021 coach of the year is: MIKE VRABEL
COACH OF THE YEAR IS BEING HANDED OUT. My guess is Mike Vrabel wins it, but i have no idea and I could totally be wrong.
They are now handing out the fan of the year award: Falcons super fan Henry Ison is your winner. Poor Henry had to sit through a 7-10 season.
I'd the biggest HOF snub this year was probably Devin Hester. The HOF seems to hate special teams.
Here's a break down of the new class from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
No one happier about Boselli getting in than our own Pete Prisco. He's been half his career campaigning for Boselli to get in
The 2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame class is in: LeRoy Butler, Bryant Young, Sam Mills, Cliff Branch, Richard Seymour, Art McNally, Tony Boselli and Dick Vermeil.
We don't know the full Hall of Fame class yet, but LEROY BUTLER is in.
In the "less important" award categories, Tom Brady was named the FedEx Air Player of the Year and Jonathan Taylor was named the FedEx Ground Player of the Year.
