Jaxon Smith-Njigba voted the NFL’s top wide receiver by AP panel By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
Jaxon Smith-Njigba won the AP Offensive Player of the Year award and the Super Bowl last season before the Seattle Seahawks gave him the biggest contract for a wide receiver in NFL history.
No surprise he was voted the NFL’s top wideout by The Associated Press in a preseason survey.
Smith-Njigba received four first-place votes, three thirds and a fourth from a panel of eight AP pro football writers, who ranked the top five receivers entering the 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Ja’Marr Chase got two firsts and Justin Jefferson and Puka Nacua each received one.
1. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks
The 24-year-old set a team record for yards receiving (1,793) and receptions (119) last season. He received a four-year, $168.6 million extension that averages $42.15 million annually and includes over $120 million in guaranteed money.
Smith-Njigba, a unanimous All-Pro selection, had nine 100-yard receiving games during the regular season and was a key to Seattle winning its second Super Bowl in franchise history.
2. Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals
Chase, a unanimous All-Pro selection in 2024, tied Justin Jefferson for first place in voting last year in this survey.
He had 125 receptions, 1,412 yards receiving and eight touchdowns last season after earning the receiving triple crown in 2024.
Chase got two first-place votes, three seconds, two thirds and was left off one ballot.
3. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams
Nacua was a unanimous All-Pro selection after leading the NFL with 129 catches for 1,715 yards and 10 TDs.
Nacua has averaged 104 catches, 1,397 yards receiving and six TDs over his three seasons in the NFL, giving Matthew Stafford a top target and the Rams an elite passing attack.
He got one first-place vote, three seconds and appeared on seven ballots.
4. Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings
In a down season, Jefferson had 84 catches for 1,048 yards and two TDs while catching passes from three different Vikings quarterbacks.
The two-time All-Pro has averaged 97 catches, 1,413 yards and seven TDs over his six seasons in the NFL.
Jefferson still received one first-place vote, two seconds and appeared on seven ballots.
5. Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
St. Brown was a second-team All-Pro after earning first-team honors the previous two seasons.
He had 117 receptions, 1,401 yards receiving and 11 TDs last season for the Lions. St. Brown has four straight seasons of more than 100 receptions and more than 1,100 yards receiving.
He appeared on seven of the eight ballots.
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Patrick Surtain II is voted the NFL's top cornerback by AP panel for the second straight year By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
Patrick Surtain II has built an impressive resume in just five seasons.
The Denver Broncos defensive back has made four Pro Bowls, been first-team All-Pro twice, second-team once and was only the seventh cornerback to win AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year, earning the award after the 2024 season.
Surtain now has been voted the top NFL cornerback for the second straight year by The Associated Press in a preseason survey.
Surtain received seven first-place votes from a panel of eight AP pro football writers who ranked the top five players at the position, basing selections on current status entering the 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Derek Stingley Jr. got the other first-place vote and finished second. Quinyon Mitchell and Devon Witherspoon tied for third, and Trent McDuffie and Sauce Gardner tied for fifth.
1. Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos
Surtain has become an elite player at a premier position. He allowed 31 receptions and a 66.5 passer rating when targeted by opposing quarterbacks in 2025.
Surtain had one interception, mainly because teams don’t throw his direction. He missed three games with a pec strain but returned in the playoffs to help the Broncos reach the AFC championship game.
2. Derek Stingley Jr., Houston Texans
Stingley earned All-Pro for the second straight season, and has developed into one of the league’s best cover cornerbacks for Houston’s stingy defense.
He had four interceptions, allowed 34 receptions in coverage and broke up nine passes in coverage last season. Opposing quarterbacks had just a 67.4 passer rating against him.
Stingley was selected one spot ahead of Sauce Gardner at No. 3 overall in the 2022 draft.
He got five second-place votes and appeared on seven ballots.
3. (tie) Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia Eagles
Mitchell earned All-Pro honors in just his second season in the NFL.
He gave up 36 catches in coverage, broke up seven passes and QBs had just a 58.4 passer rating against him. Mitchell doesn’t have an interception in the regular season but he’s snagged four picks in five playoff games for the Eagles.
Mitchell appeared on six ballots.
3. (tie) Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks
Witherspoon made his third Pro Bowl in three seasons, earned second-team All-Pro honors and helped Seattle win the Super Bowl.
He surrendered 46 receptions in coverage and QBs had a 99.8 passer rating against him. Witherspoon appeared on four ballots.
5. (tie) Trent McDuffie , Los Angeles Rams
McDuffie has been one of the league’s best slot cornerbacks in his first four seasons in Kansas City, helping the Chiefs win two Super Bowls and play in another one.
McDuffie was a first-team All-Pro slot cornerback in 2023 and a second-team choice in 2024. The Rams acquired him for a package of draft picks, including No. 29 overall in this April's draft.
He allowed 37 passes in coverage, broke up four and had one pick. He allowed a 94.7 passer rating when targeted.
McDuffie appeared on three ballots.
5. (tie) Sauce Gardner, Indianapolis Colts
The two-time All-Pro was traded from the Jets to the Colts in a blockbuster deal for two first-round picks midway through last season but played in only four games for his new team because of a calf injury.
Gardner received three votes.
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Miami hopes Duke QB transfer Darian Mensah can keep 'Canes playing college football's highest level By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer The Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Miami Hurricanes are back on the national scene in college football in large part due to the acquisition of two high-profile transfer quarterbacks the past two years.
They're counting on a third, Darian Mensah from Duke, to keep them in the conversation.
The junior redshirt quarterback said Wednesday he made the move to Miami largely because of the success Cam Ward and Carson Beck experienced after joining the Hurricanes through the transfer portal. Ward became the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, and Beck took Miami to the College Football Playoff championship game last season and was selected in Round 3.
Mensah said after watching Ward and Beck perform he believes Miami gives him a chance to win a national title, while simultaneously best utilizing his skill set to improve his NFL draft stock.
“Seeing what the last two quarterbacks did at Miami was a huge factor," Mensah said at the ACC Kickoff. “Seeing the freedom that (offensive coordinator Shannon) Dawson lets the quarterback play with within his offense was also something that was attractive to me.”
Mensah's arrival in Miami followed a tension-filled offseason legal fight between Duke and its elite QB, who had signed a two-year contract in 2025 that included name, image and likeness money. The end result was a settlement that allowed Mensah to move on after the school had attempted to block his departure.
Mensah brings a proven track record to Miami.
He threw for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns for Tulane in 2024, then led the Atlantic Coast Conference last season with 3,973 yards passing and 34 touchdowns. The Blue Devils won a five-way tiebreaker to reach the ACC championship and beat No. 20 Virginia in Charlotte for their first outright title since 1962.
With Beck out of college eligibility, Miami coach Mario Cristobal felt his team desperately needed an experienced QB to go with a talented returning core.
“We were in the market for a quarterback,” Cristobal said. “We felt the team was really set in so many areas. When Darian hit the portal, we felt this is a guy we would love to pursue. ... His levels of leadership, care factor, time invested in his craft, football IQ, just natural human IQ, just an elite person."
Mensah said the transition to Miami has been “seamless” and that his new teammates have been welcoming even while talk swirls around his reported $10 million NIL deal.
“I feel like I’m at home here in Miami and you couldn’t ask for more,” he said.
Mensah said he remains friends with his former Duke teammates but that “business is business.”
However, there likely will be plenty of emotions on both sides when the Hurricanes host Duke on Nov. 14.
Mensah said he briefly considered joining the NFL draft but decided he needed to show more to scouts.
“I feel like I lost my team some games last year with just having the ball loose,” Mensah said. “And so I think that was a big thing for me and then just taking what the defense gives me and just being better with that, and not pressing.”
The Hurricanes are coming off a memorable season.
After catching a few breaks to get into the CFP, including Duke's Mensah-led win over Virginia, they beat No. 7 Texas A&M , No. 2 Ohio State and No. 6 Mississippi before losing to Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza and No. 1 Indiana in the CFP final.
Linebacker Mohamed Toure, Miami’s leading tackler last season, said the “The U” is getting closer to the high level where it once was. He said he gets chills when former Hurricanes players return to campus and talk with the team.
He said the loss to the Hoosiers will only continue to drive the Hurricanes.
“We ended with a bitter taste in our mouth, so it’s like we’re hungry to get to this 2026 season," Toure said. “But we understand that we only could take it one day at a time. So taking that energy, that hunger that we have and just applying it to every single day. It's a stepping stone.”
Miami hopes Mensah can help it take that final step and win its first national title since 2001.
“I always felt like I could play at this level, and a lot of people didn’t when I was in high school, so, carry that chip around me everywhere I go," Mensah said. “There’s a lot more left in my college career that I’m, I can showcase and I’m excited for the season."
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SMU launches a Heisman push for Kevin Jennings and is putting QB's name on a new recovery center By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Sports Writer The Associated Press DALLAS
DALLAS (AP) — SMU has launched a Heisman Trophy campaign for senior quarterback Kevin Jennings, and also is putting his name on a new recovery center in the school's football complex.
The third-year hometown starting quarterback, who led the Mustangs to the College Football Playoff two seasons ago, is believed to be the first player to have an area on any campus named for him while still active in his college career.
“When you started looking at a legacy that’s going to be left, every player that comes through SMU is going to see Kevin’s name up there and be reminded of the impact he had, but also what his accomplishments allow us to do to leave something that’s going to help make their experience here better,” Mustangs coach Rhett Lashlee said Wednesday.
The announcement of the Kevin Jennings Recovery Center came two days after SMU officially launched its “K7NG OF DALLAS” campaign That title is a nod to the city where the school is located and where Jennings was born and grew up, plus the two-time captain's jersey number.
SMU's only Heisman Trophy winner was halfback Doak Walker in 1948. Walker is the namesake of the annual award for the nation's top college running back.
Jennings is 19-7 as SMU’s starter with 7,709 yards and 55 touchdowns passing, well within reach of the school’s career records of 9,081 yards and 72 TDs. He completed 300 of 454 passes (66.1%) for 3,641 yards and 26 touchdowns last season, the Mustangs' second in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
“That was a no-brainer,” Lashlee said of the organized Heisman push. “He’s more than deserving of it. We've got to win games, we've got to play well. I think we've got a good team around him, but he’s earned it."
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza was the Heisman Trophy winner last season , the fourth QB in five years to win the award. The only non-quarterback in that span was Colorado two-way standout Travis Hunter in 2024.
SMU's recovery center will include two dedicated spaces with state-of-the-art equipment for physical and mental recovery such as light infrared saunas, dry plunge and sleep pods. They will be in areas that will be renovated inside SMU's endzone facility that opened two years ago, and could be ready early in the upcoming season.
“It means a lot. I’m just super-excited for it,” Jennings said. “It’s honestly just a blessing being in this situation I’m in right now.”
SMU said the center inspired by Jennings' vision was made possible by financial support from alumni Ann and Malcolm Holland.
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Running back Alvin Kamara has a new deal with the Saints for 2026, agent says By BRETT MARTEL AP Sports Writer The Associated Press NEW ORLEANS
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara agreed on Wednesday to restructure his contract for the coming season.
“His goal is to remain with the Saints,” Kamara's agent, Bradley Cicala, told The Associated Press after confirming the agreement.
Kamara's future with New Orleans became cloudy in March, when New Orleans signed free-agent running back Travis Etienne to a four-year $52 million contract. Kamara, who'll be 31 this season, was entering the final season of a two-year, $24.5 million extension he’d signed before the 2024 season.
Cicala and Saints general manager Mickey Loomis did not disclose specific financial terms of the new agreement. But Loomis had foreshadowed some sort of pay cut when he stated in May that there was a “resource management element” to Kamara fitting in on this season's roster.
While the new deal is expected to reduce the burden of Kamara's contract under the 2026 salary cap, it does not preclude the Saints from trading him.
Struggling through a knee injury last season , Kamara posted career lows in games played (11), yards and touchdowns rushing (471 and one), and yards and touchdowns receiving (186 and zero).
That was a far cry from the start of Kamara’s career in 2017, when he was named the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in what was the first of four straight playoff campaigns for the Saints under coach Sean Payton and Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees.
But the Saints haven’t made the playoffs since Brees retired after the 2020 season and are on their second coach since then. Kellen Moore was hired after winning a Super Bowl as Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator during the 2024 season.
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Fred Warner of the 49ers is voted as the top off-ball linebacker in the NFL by an AP panel By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
Fred Warner managed to play only six games last season for the San Francisco 49ers before a broken right ankle ended his season prematurely in Week 6 .
Warner's play up until that point and his all-around dominance over the past several years still was enough to help him earn the honor of being named the top off-ball linebacker in the NFL by The Associated Press.
A panel of eight AP pro football writers ranked the top five players at off-ball linebacker, basing selections on current status entering the 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Warner got six first-place votes and won the voting with 60 points. Detroit's Jack Campbell got the other two first-place votes and finished second with 39 points. Philadelphia's Zack Baun was third, Carolina's Devin Lloyd was fourth, and Miami's Jordyn Brooks and Baltimore's Roquan Smith tied for fifth.
Green Bay's Zaire Franklin, Seattle's Ernest Jones IV, Tennessee's Cedric Gray, Kansas City's Nick Bolton, Cleveland's Carson Schwesinger and Bobby Wagner also received votes.
1. Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers
Warner had been a first-team All-Pro from 2022-24, as well as 2020, as the leader of San Francisco's defense. Warner is the prototypical linebacker for the modern game as he excels in both pass coverage and stopping the run.
Warner is the only player currently on an NFL roster with at least 10 career sacks, interceptions and forced fumbles. In his last three healthy seasons, Warner had 393 tackles, seven interceptions, 28 passes defensed and nine forced fumbles.
2. Jack Campbell, Detroit Lions
The Lions surprised some watchers when they used the 18th overall pick to draft Campbell in 2023 out of Iowa. Campbell quickly showed why that was a shrewd decision.
He's been a key component of Detroit's defense since his rookie year and took his game to a new level in 2025 when he was named first-team All-Pro after becoming the first player since at least 2000 to have at least 160 tackles and five sacks in a season. The Lions rewarded Campbell with an $81 million, four-year extension earlier this offseason.
3. Zack Baun, Philadelphia Eagles
Baun followed up his breakthrough 2024 season, when he helped the Eagles win the Super Bowl, with another strong campaign as he firmly established himself as one of the game's top linebackers.
Baun had struggled to get on the field on defense as an edge rusher his first four seasons in New Orleans, but has been a star at linebacker on Vic Fangio's defense in Philadelphia. He was an All-Pro in 2024 and made his second straight Pro Bowl last season after recording 123 tackles, seven passes defensed, seven tackles for loss and 3 1/2 sacks.
4. Devin Lloyd, Carolina Panthers
The 2022 first-round pick by Jacksonville had a breakthrough season last year with the Jaguars that earned him a three-year, $45 million contract from Carolina in the offseason.
Lloyd's five interceptions were tied for the most by any linebacker in the last 12 seasons and he had a 99-yard return for a TD after picking off a pass from Patrick Mahomes.
5. (tie), Jordyn Brooks, Miami Dolphins
Brooks was a rare bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season for the Dolphins as he earned All-Pro honors for the first time in his career. The former first-round pick by Seattle has stepped up his game after being signed in free agency by Miami before the 2024 season.
He led the NFL with 183 tackles last season, including 99 solo tackles.
5. Roquan Smith, Baltimore Ravens
Smith has been a steadying force for Baltimore's defense since being acquired in a midseason trade from Chicago in 2022. He has been a Pro Bowler in all three full seasons with the Ravens and made first-team All-Pro in 2023 and '24.
His six straight seasons with at least 130 tackles are tied for the second-longest streak in the NFL since at least 2000, trailing only Bobby Wagner's current 10-year run.
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Bijan Robinson of the Falcons is voted as the top running back in the NFL by an AP panel By JOSH DUBOW AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
The expectations for Bijan Robinson were high as soon as he entered the NFL in 2023 as the first running back taken with a top-10 pick in five years.
Robinson made an impact almost from the start with the Atlanta Falcons and then took his game to another level last season when he led the NFL in yards from scrimmage and was picked as the All-Pro running back.
That production helped Robinson win the honor of being named the top running back in the league by The Associated Press.
A panel of eight AP pro football writers ranked the top five players at running back, basing selections on current status entering the 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Robinson got three first-place votes, one second and was the only player named on all eight ballots to win the voting with 41 points. San Francisco's Christian McCaffrey got two first-place votes and finished second with 33 points, with Baltimore's Derrick Henry also getting two first-place votes and coming in third with 30 points.
The other first-place vote went to Saquon Barkley, who finished fourth, with Detroit's Jahmyr Gibbs coming in fifth.
Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor and Buffalo's James Cook also received votes.
1. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons
Robinson, the eighth pick in 2023, is one of the top dual-threat backs in the league, finishing fourth in the league in rushing last season with 1,478 yards to go along with 820 yards receiving.
He became the second player ever with at least 1,400 yards rushing and 800 yards receiving in the same season, joining Steven Jackson, who did it in 2006.
Robinson led the NFL with 2,298 yards from scrimmage and scored 11 TDs on the season.
2. Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
McCaffrey has established himself as the most dangerous receiving threat out of the backfield and is a focal point of Kyle Shanahan's passing game in San Francisco.
McCaffrey wasn't the explosive runner last season as he had been earlier in his career, rushing for 1,202 yards and averaging just 3.9 yards per carry. He more than made up for that with 102 catches for 924 yards as he nearly became the first player ever with two seasons with at least 1,000 yards rushing and receiving.
McCaffrey generated an NFL-best 119 first downs, matching the most for any player in the past 15 seasons.
3. Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens
People have been waiting for Henry to shows signs of decline as he reached his 30s but it hasn't been evident yet.
Henry has topped 1,500 yards rushing in each of the past two seasons after turning 30, with his five 1,500-yard seasons tied with Barry Sanders for the most ever.
Henry ranked second in the NFL last season with 1,595 yards rushing and is 10th all-time with 13,018 yards. He set a record last season with his seventh 200-yard game and has a record-tying four seasons with at least 15 TD runs.
4. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles
Barkley took a step back from his record-setting 2024 season when his 2,504 yards rushing in the regular season and playoffs were the most ever as Philadelphia's offense was less potent last season. He still managed to rush for 1,140 yards and scored nine total TDs to earn some support in this voting.
5. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions
Gibbs has been a scoring machine since entering the league with Robinson in 2023, when he was picked four spots later at No. 12 overall. Gibbs' 49 career touchdowns are the most ever for a player before turning 24 years old, topping the previous mark of 47 set by Lions legend Barry Sanders.
Gibbs rushed for 1,223 yards and added 616 more receiving last season when he scored 18 overall TDs.
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Andy Reid is voted the NFL's top head coach by AP writers for the fourth straight season By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
Big Red is No. 1 again.
Andy Reid was voted the NFL’s No. 1 coach by The Associated Press in a preseason survey for the fourth straight year.
Despite coming off his first losing season in Kansas City , Reid remains the standard for coaches.
A panel of eight AP pro football writers ranked the top five coaches entering the 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Reid, who has three Super Bowl rings and leads both Kansas City and Philadelphia in all-time wins, received five first-place votes and one second. He was left off two ballots.
Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay got the other three first-place votes and finished second. Seattle’s Mike Macdonald, who led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title last season, finished third. San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan placed fourth and Denver’s Sean Payton came in fifth.
Nick Sirianni, John Harbaugh, Jim Harbaugh, Mike Vrabel and Ben Johnson also received votes.
1. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs had 12 straight winning seasons, made 11 playoff appearances, won nine consecutive AFC West titles and reached five Super Bowls in six years before going 6-11 in 2025.
Injuries slowed the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes ended up suffering a season-ending knee injury in Week 15 last season.
Reid won more games than any coach in the history of the Eagles before going to Kansas City and doing the same with the Chiefs, along with winning three Lombardis.
From 1999-2012 in Philadelphia, Reid guided the Eagles to five NFC title games and one Super Bowl. He is fourth on the NFL’s all-time career list with 307 victories.
2. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams
The Rams fell short against the Seahawks in the NFC title game in January after going 12-5 and winning two playoff games on the road.
The 40-year-old McVay has led Los Angeles to one Super Bowl title, two NFC championships, four division titles, seven double-digit win seasons and seven playoff appearances in nine years.
McVay got four second-place votes along with the three firsts and was on seven of eight ballots.
3. Mike Macdonald, Seattle Seahawks
Macdonald led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory in just his second season, beating New England 29-13 to capture the franchise’s second NFL title.
At age 38, he became the third-youngest head coach to win a Lombardi behind McVay (36) and Mike Tomlin (36).
The Seahawks went 10-7 in Macdonald’s first season in 2024. He previously spent two years as the defensive coordinator in Baltimore. His “Dark Side” defense allowed an NFL-low 292 points (17.2 per game) last season.
Macdonald appeared on seven ballots, getting three third-place votes.
4. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
Shanahan is the only coach on the top 5 list who hasn’t won a Super Bowl.
He guided the injury-depleted 49ers to a 12-5 record last season and a Week 18 matchup against Seattle for the No. 1 seed. San Francisco beat Philadelphia on the road in the playoffs before losing to Seattle in the divisional round.
In nine seasons, Shanahan has led the 49ers to five playoff appearances and two Super Bowl appearances, including an overtime loss to Kansas City.
5. Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
Payton led the Broncos to a 14-3 record and the AFC’s No. 1 seed last season in his third year in Denver. They fell short against New England in the AFC championship game after quarterback Bo Nix was injured in the divisional round win against Buffalo.
Payton, who won a Super Bowl with New Orleans, has taken the Broncos to the playoffs twice in three seasons.
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Josh Allen is voted the NFL's top quarterback by AP writers By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer The Associated Press
Josh Allen doesn’t need to win a Super Bowl to be No. 1.
The Buffalo Bills' franchise player was voted the NFL’s top quarterback by The Associated Press in a preseason survey.
The 2024 AP NFL Most Valuable Player beat out Patrick Mahomes, who earned the top spot each of the three previous seasons.
Allen received five first-place votes from a panel of eight AP pro football writers, who ranked the top five quarterbacks entering the 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Allen appeared on all eight ballots and also got one second-place vote, one third and one fourth.
Mahomes finished second just ahead of reigning NFL MVP Matthew Stafford . Lamar Jackson came in fourth and Joe Burrow was fifth.
1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills
Allen followed up his MVP season with another excellent campaign in 2025, but the Bills had their streak of five straight AFC East titles ended by New England and were knocked out of the playoffs in the divisional round against Denver, costing coach Sean McDermott his job.
Allen threw for 3,668 yards, 25 TDs and had 10 picks for a 102.2 passer rating. He ran for 579 yards and 14 scores, making his fourth Pro Bowl and finishing third in MVP voting.
Allen and the Bills are still seeking their first Super Bowl appearance since the 1993 season despite seven straight playoff appearances.
2. Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
Mahomes finished his worst season in the NFL on the sideline after suffering a torn ACL in Week 15. The Chiefs were 6-8 with Mahomes and lost all three games without him.
Still, the three-time Super Bowl MVP — a unanimous choice for No. 1 in this survey in 2023 and 2024 — commands enough respect to earn two first-place votes and finished second behind Allen. He had 3,587 yards passing for 22 TDs with 11 picks before going down with his first significant injury in the NFL. Mahomes is aiming to be ready for Week 1 as Kansas City tries to rebound from its first losing season under Andy Reid .
3. Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams
Stafford earned first-team All-Pro honors for the first time in his 17-year career, and beat out Drake Maye for his first NFL MVP award last season.
He got one first-place vote, two seconds and appeared on all eight ballots in this year's preseason survey. The Rams went 14-6, including a pair of playoff victories and a loss to Seattle in the conference championship.
Stafford led the NFL with 4,707 yards passing and 46 TDs. He threw eight picks and finished second to Maye with a 109.2 passer rating.
4. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
Jackson, a three-time All-Pro and two-time NFL MVP, had his first losing season as a starter, going 6-7, and the Baltimore Ravens missed the playoffs.
Jackson threw for 2,549 yards, 21 TDs and seven picks, posting a 103.8 passer rating. Jackson had a career-low 349 yards rushing and two scores.
Jackson got two third-place votes and appeared on six ballots.
5. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Burrow played only eight games last season because of a toe injury, leading the Bengals to a 5-3 record. It was the third time he played 10 or fewer games due to injuries.
Burrow bounced back the following season to win the AP Comeback Player of the Year award the previous two times.
The three-time Pro Bowl QB threw for 1,809 yards, 17 TDs and five picks with a passer rating of 100.7. Burrow appeared on five ballots with one third-place vote.
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Rams left tackle Jackson assigned to pre-filing diversion and can avoid domestic violence charge The Associated Press LOS ANGELES
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson, who was arrested on June 9 on suspicion of felony domestic violence, has the opportunity to avoid criminal charges.
Los Angeles City Attorney's Office spokesman Ivor Pine confirmed in a statement to The Associated Press on Monday that Jackson's case has been assigned for a pre-filing diversion available to eligible individuals. The City Attorney Hearing is an alternative to misdemeanor criminal prosecution.
Though charges will not be filed against Jackson at this time, the case remains open and can be re-evaluated if there are more developments.
At the time of the arrest, the Los Angeles Police Department said officers were called to Jackson's home in the West Hills neighborhood of the San Fernando Valley. NBC4 reported that Jackson allegedly attempted to take a phone away from a woman when he thought he was being recorded, and the woman had scratches on her arm.
Jackson has been the Rams’ starting left tackle for the past three seasons, starting 45 regular-season games and six playoff games. The former undrafted free agent re-signed with the Rams on a three-year, $57 million deal in February 2025.
The Rams issued a statement following the arrest saying the team was aware of the incident "and we take these matters very seriously. Due to this being an ongoing legal situation, we cannot comment further at this time.”
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