NFL Honors hasn’t aired yet, but Tom Brady has already handed out his own set of awards. On Sunday he revealed the winners of his LFG Awards for the 2025 season, naming recipients across traditional and offbeat categories — everything from Player of the Year to a sixth-round pick of the year and a microphone call of the year.
LFG Player of the Year — Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams
Brady picked Matthew Stafford as his top player, praising his season-long consistency and ability to make difficult throws in big moments. Stafford finished the regular season leading the league with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns, guiding the Rams to a 12-5 record and a trip to the NFC title game. Brady also gave honorable mentions to Jackson Smith-Njigba and James Cook.
LFG Offensive Player of the Year — Jackson Smith-Njigba & Puka Nacua (co-highlights)
Brady admitted this was a tough call and effectively elevated both Smith-Njigba and Puka Nacua, lauding Nacua’s body control and YAC and Smith-Njigba’s reliability and ability to make explosive plays. Both finished the season as leading candidates for Offensive POY and were unanimous AP First-Team All-Pros; each also starred in the NFC title game with big receiving totals.
LFG Defensive Player of the Year — Myles Garrett, Edge, Cleveland Browns
Brady gave his defensive honor to Myles Garrett, noting the impact Garrett has every week and pointing out that Garrett broke Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record with 23 sacks. Brady also praised Micah Parsons, who was leading the league in pressures before suffering an ACL injury and could have been in the conversation.
LFG Offensive Rookie of the Year — McMillan (Panthers)
Brady awarded the top offensive rookie nod to McMillan, highlighting his ability to get open, stretch the field and produce explosive and possession plays. McMillan led rookies with 1,014 receiving yards and seven receiving TDs and helped Carolina win the NFC South.
Honorable mention — Kyle Monangai (Bears)
Brady also singled out Kyle Monangai — whom he joked he’d been calling a sixth-rounder — for his hard-nosed running. Monangai finished with 783 yards, a 4.6-yard average and five touchdowns, playing a big role in Chicago’s run-heavy attack and NFC North title.
LFG Defensive Rookie of the Year — Nick Emanwori, S, Seattle Seahawks
After watching the Seahawks in the playoffs, Brady said he couldn’t ignore Nick Emanwori’s all-around play. Emanwori finished among rookies with 81 tackles, added 2.5 sacks, and produced several game-changing plays in both the regular season (notably Week 14 versus Atlanta) and the postseason.
LFG Coach(s) of the Year — Ben Johnson (Bears), Mike McDonald (Seahawks), Liam Cohen (Jaguars), and Vrabel (Patriots)
Brady named four coaches for his coach of the year recognition: Ben Johnson for Chicago’s turnaround and for tailoring an offense around Caleb Williams; Mike McDonald for constructing Seattle’s stingy defense; Liam Cohen for his work in Jacksonville with Trevor Lawrence; and Vrabel for his sustained success. Brady emphasized the depth of young coaching talent in the league and told coaches who didn’t win to get back to work for 2026.
LFG Sixth-Round Player of the Year — Quentin Lake, S, Los Angeles Rams
Brady celebrated Quentin Lake as his choice for the best sixth-round steal, praising Lake’s versatility in the secondary and the defensive drop-off the Rams suffer when he’s out. Lake had 61 tackles, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception in 10 games; Brady also mentioned Josh Metellus (86 tackles, two picks) as another late-round gem.
LFG Call of the Year — Kevin Burkhardt (Packers-Bears, Week 16)
Originally asked to name a Game of the Year, Brady switched to Call of the Year — awarding it to his son, Kevin Burkhardt, for his dramatic call of the Bears’ Week 16 walk-off sequence that included an onside kick, OT, and a long Caleb Williams-to-DJ Moore touchdown in brutal weather. Brady said the call still gives him goosebumps.
LFG Value/Bargain Player — Nashon Wright, CB, Chicago Bears
Brady touted Nashon Wright as a high-value contributor after signing a modest one-year deal with Chicago. Wright led the league with eight takeaways and had five interceptions in 2025, emerging as a turnover machine and earning a Pro Bowl berth just as he headed back into free agency.
Fan Take: Brady’s personal awards highlight players and storylines that may not always get top billing in traditional voting, putting a spotlight on breakout performers, savvy personnel moves and late-round finds. For NFL fans, these picks reinforce narratives about depth, coaching impact and clutch performances — and they help frame early expectations and storylines to watch heading into next season.
