The Packers had a shaky season filled with hills and valleys, upsets and let-downs, and that led to an 8-8 record and missing the playoffs by 2 games. There were many positive things to take away as Green Bay will look to improve and make the playoffs next season, but here’s the MVP, OPOY, DPOY, OROY, DROY, and the Most Consistent player for the Packers this season.
MVP: Bryce Young
He may be a rookie, but he was the number 2 overall pick for a reason. Bryce Young dazzled and impressed in his rookie season as he was the player who impacted the outcomes of games the most, taking the helm of Green Bay’s historic franchise and giving them the 4th most total offensive yards in the league with 6,620 and the 6th most amount of points with 35.7 per game, truly a game changer and a big upgrade from Jordan Love last season. He alone put up 4,803 passing yards, the most among rookies and the 3rd most in the league behind Dwayne Haskins Jr. and Spencer Rattler. He also threw for 37 touchdowns which was 4th in the league and 2nd among rookies. He also showcased his speed as a dual threat coming in just behind Lamar Jackson with the second most rushing yards for quarterbacks with 389 compared to Jackson’s 406. He only rushed for 1 touchdown, though. Young was a very strong contender for the league-wide OROY but the Lions’ DJ Uiagalelei was just too good. As most rookies and inexperienced players do, Young had quite the turnover problem, throwing 41 interceptions and fumbling 11 times although some of those were recovered by his own team. With what he’s shown in his rookie season, Bryce Young could go from Packers’ Team MVP to League MVP if he pieces some last few things together.
OPOY: Davante Adams
A seasoned veteran in contrast to Bryce Young, Adams has been an anchor for the Packers and helped Young develop while also being the clear #1 receiving option and a top wideout in the whole league, showcasing his route running and contested catch ability throughout the season. A 1 game suspension mid-season cooled off a hot streak of games he had going, but he still finished with 68 receptions, 1,289 yards, and 8 touchdowns in the 15 games he played. Not to mention his impact without the ball as he draws so much attention from the defense it opened up plays for everyone around him on the Packers’ offense to make them so effective. He even drew a couple triple teams throughout the season when he was gashing opposing defensive backs. As Adams gets up their in age, it’s sadly a matter of time before he’s unable to be this productive, but Green Bay is happy to reap the rewards of his unbelievable abilities for now.
DPOY: Darnell Savage and Adrian Amos
There are co-winners for Packers’ defensive player of the year honors because of how well they compliment each other and just how well they played. Both coming off of contract extensions, Amos thrived in the slot and coming down into the box, leading the team in tackles with 96 and having an incredible 16 tackled for loss as a safety, showcasing his closing speed in an incredible way. He also recorded 2 sacks and 4 forced fumbles on his destructive path close to the line of scrimmage. He also had some amazing moments in coverage when he dropped back deep in cover 2 or cover 3. He tallied 5 interceptions, including a pick 6, and 10 pass deflections, truly a balanced and explosive safety with years of experience to help lead the defense through its struggles this season. Now for Savage, who lived up to his contract extension as well, flying around the field making plays. He was second in tackles for the team behind Amos with 74, including 7 tackles for loss which is also very good for a safety. He was a true wildcard for this defense with his speed and athleticism also nabbing 8 interceptions, tied for the most on the team, and a pick 6 along with 12 pass deflections. He was a menace when he frequently sprinted from his deep safety spot to get to the line of scrimmage for some big hits, too, knocking 4 fumbles loose and recovering another. This tandem worked wonders and a big reason the defense had success at times.
OROY: Michael Mayer
Although Bryce Young is a rookie, Mayer gets this award as to avoid repeats but also to give credit where it’s due. Mayer came out of college as a top tight end prospect many thought could’ve gone first round, but fell to the Packers’ early second round pick because teams were afraid a slow and fundamental tight end would no longer have success in the league. Mayer has proved the doubters wrong as he finished the season leading all rookies, receivers and halfbacks included with tight ends, in receptions with 78, receiving yards with 1,051 yards, and receiving touchdowns with 12. Truly a historic season for a rookie tight end and even for a rookie in general. He is a strong and reliable target at a position the Packers haven’t had historical success at. If he’s able to take a leap in the offseason, he may be join Davante Adams as an elite receiving option and make the Packers offense nearly impossible to contain.
DROY: Tyreke Johnson
This wasn’t really a competition as Tyreke Johnson was one of the best cornerbacks in the whole league this season, being so lockdown he only made a few rookie mistakes we can chalk up to inexperience, and then most other times he was targeted forced an incompletion as he had 15 pass deflections or maybe picked it off for one of his 8 interceptions, he returned 2 of those for a touchdown, also. He also was surprisingly good at traveling the field to stop plays, recording 57 tackles, but only 2 for a loss, and he picked up a loose fumble one time. His teammate Lannden Zanders deserves an honorable mention with his 52 tackles, 4 for a loss, 2 sacks, 4 interceptions, 2 pass deflections, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 defensive touchdown, but Johnson still wins this honor and could become a superstar soon and turn the Packers secondary into a no fly zone paired with those elite safeties and Jaire Alexander.
Most Consistent: Cairo Santos
Special teams deserves more love and kickers are a highly valuable position and Santos did his job almost better than anybody in the league this season on a cheap contract, too. He was consistently cashing out for the Packers, even in Green Bay’s poor conditions at times. He finished 24/25 on field goals with his only miss being due to a bad snap and hold (lag). He went 19/19 on field goals under 50 yards and went 5/6 on over 50 yard attempts, making a 56 yarder as his long for the season. He went a perfect 67/67 on extra points as the Packers piled on the points and was also a big strength for the team during kickoffs, booting the ball off for 71 touchbacks in his 106 kickoffs and also never had a kick returned for a touchdown or even past the 40 yard line, constantly forcing the opposing team to not have amazing field position.
These were the team awards for the Green Bay Packers this season as they head into the offseason pretty set for next season with simultaneously few holes but a lot of work to do to get to where they want to be: The Playoffs.
