Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has been named the AP NFL Most Valuable Player for a second time in his career.
Mahomes, who previously won the award in the 2018-19 season, earned the honor Thursday night following a 2022 regular season in which he led the NFL in passing touchdowns (41) and offensive touchdowns (45) to go along with a career-high 5,250 yards in the league’s premier scoring offense.
“First I would like to thank God for giving me this platform and putting so many amazing people around me, to help support this journey I’ve had since I was a little kid. Without them none of this would be possible,” Mahomes said in a video aired at the NFL Honors award ceremony on Thursday night.
Mahomes also thanked the Chiefs front office personnel as well as his teammates. “I would never be standing here today without y’all. Every day, giving everything that we have together to go for the ultimate goal, the Super Bowl. Let’s continue to go for that dream this weekend.”
The 27-year-old signal caller, who will be playing for a second career Super Bowl title on Sunday, is the 10th player in NFL history to win the award multiple times. After helping the Chiefs secure the top seed in the AFC, Mahomes guided Kansas City to a trip to the Super Bowl for the third time in the past four seasons.
Kansas City will play against the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday, in Glendale, Arizona.
In attendance at the ceremony Thursday night was Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who received a standing ovation as he gave thanks for surviving cardiac arrest during a Bills game in early January.
Hamlin was surrounded by Bills and Cincinnati Bengals medical staff as well as University of Cincinnati Medical Center doctors who helped save his life.
“First I would like to just want to thank God for even just being here,” Hamlin said. “Every day, I’m amazed at my experiences could encourage so many others across the country and even across the world.”
Hamlin was named the NFLPA Alan Page Community Award winner on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson was named Offensive Player of the Year. San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa was named Defensive Player of the Year after the pass rusher led the league with 18.5 sacks in the regular season. Bosa received 46 of 50 first-place votes.
Jets rookie wide receiver Garrett Wilson and cornerback Sauce Gardner earned Rookie of the Year honors for offense and defense, respectively, to become only the third teammate duo to win both honors in the same NFL season.
After leading the New York Giants to the playoffs in his first year as head coach, Brian Daboll was named the Coach of the Year.
Lastly, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was named the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023 was announced, with former Cleveland Browns offensive line stalwart Joe Thomas, former Jets shutdown cornerback Darrelle Revis and former Cowboys star DeMarcus Ware headlining the inductees.
