Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Puka Nacua have both been made finalists for major NFL awards.
On the heels of being named to the PFWA All-NFL and All-NFC teams, both Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Puka Nacua have now been named finalists for major end-of-season awards.
Stafford was also named the PFWA MVP, which could end up leading to his full-on AP MVP nod as well, to which he was named a finalist.
Stafford put together an incredible performance in the regular season, leading the league with 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns.
Stafford continues to show why he is having an MVP-level year, as he has helped lead the Rams to the NFC Championship.
Despite being nominated as a finalist for the award, it is not a guarantee that he will receive it. Stafford is up against Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, and San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey.
Stafford is up against some stiff competition, especially Maye, who was leading in MVP odds up until the end of the regular season.
Nacua, on the other hand, has been named a finalist for the Offensive Player of the Year award.
Nacua ended the season with a second-place 1,715 receiving yards and led the league with 129 receptions.
Nacua continues to showcase elite skills on the field, apart from just being a phenomenal catcher. He has been called on for designed runs, blocks, and he even stopped a would-be interception. Simply put, he can do it all.
Much like Stafford, Nacua is up against some tough competition for the ward.
Seattle Seahawks Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, and Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson are also finalists.
Smith-Njigba led the league with 1,793 yards and was the prime target for Sam Darnold. The Seahawks' pass catcher put together an impressive career year.
Though the league MVP may come down to either Stafford or Maye as the current favorites, the Offensive Player of the Year award is far harder to make a call on.
All of the players on that list are deserving of the honor, and it will be interesting to see who walks away with the nod during the NFL Honors ceremony.
The Rams are one game away from the Super Bowl, and Stafford and Nacua may make bigger cases for themselves if both put together one more impressive performance to punch their ticket to the big show.