NFL MVP, other award finalists named as season winds down

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Sunday’s conference championship games will determine which two teams earn the right to play in this year’s Super Bowl.

The Ravens host the defending champion Chiefs and the Lions travel to San Francisco to take on the 49ers, which will mark just the second time in franchise history that Detroit will appear in a conference title game.

Just ahead of this weekend’s highly anticipated matchups, the finalists for eight of the Associated Press’ 2023 NFL awards were revealed. Players from three of the four teams remaining in the NFL playoffs are featured in one or more of the categories.

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The 13th annual NFL Honors ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 8, 2024. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images/File)

The AP notably altered its voting system. Voters are now required to rank their top five choices for the Most Valuable Player category while the other awards ask them to list their top three players.

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A total of five players are in contention for the league’s highly coveted MVP award.

AP Most Valuable Player

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, left (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy

AP Defensive Player of the Year

Micah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys (Rich Barnes/Getty Images)

Cowboys star Micah Parsons, who was named the 2021 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, is one of five finalists in this year’s Defensive Player of the Year category. Parsons finished the season with 14 sacks. Meanwhile, five-time Pro Bowler Myles Garrett matched Parsons’ 2023 sack total.

Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett
Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt

AP Offensive Player of the Year

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

On the offensive side of the football, Tyreek Hill put together another prolific season and led the league in receiving yards. Lamar Jackson returned to his 2019 MVP form and CeeDee Lamb racked up 1,749 yards on 135 receptions.

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott

AP Offensive Rookie of the Year

C.J. Stroud of the Houston Texans (Rob Carr/Getty Images)

C.J. Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s draft, took the NFL by storm in 2023. The former Ohio State standout helped lift the Texans to a wild-card round playoff win over the Cleveland Browns.