The Geno Smith awards tour is complete. Smith was named the AP Comeback Player of the year at the NFL’s Honors awards ceremony Thursday night in Phoenix. Prior to Thursday night Smith had already bagged the Pro Football Writers of America Comeback Player of the Year and Most Improved Player awards.
Smith is the first Seahawks player to earn AP Comeback Player of the Year Honors. Smith was one of four Seahawks players up for awards at NFL Honors, with cornerback Tariq Woolen and running back Kenneth Walker III being named finalists for Defensive Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year. Wide receiver Tyler Lockett was the Seahawks nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of The year award.
Walker finished a close second in the Offensive Rookie of the Year voting behind Jets receiver Garrett Wilson, while Woolen finished third in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting behind Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner and Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson.
COACH OF THE YEAR
The New York Giants’ rookie coach Brian Daboll won the AP Coach of the Year honors after leading the team to its first playoff appearance in six years.
Daboll received 16 first-place votes to outpace 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who got 12. Daboll totaled 123 points to Shanahan’s 100 in the closest race of all the 2022 AP NFL awards.
Jaguars coach Doug Pederson finished third with 75 points, including five first-place votes.
Bills coach Sean McDermott was fourth followed by Philadelphia’s Nick Sirianni.
McDermott got seven first-place votes, Sirianni had six, Kansas City’s Andy Reid got two and Minnesota’s Kevin O’Connell and Detroit’s Dan Campbell got one apiece.
The Giants started 6-1, finished 9-7-1 and won a playoff game under Daboll.
ASSISTANT COACH OF THE YEAR
Newly hired Texans head coach DeMeco Ryan’s was named AP Assistant Coach of the Year award.
Ryan’s received 35 first-place votes after guiding the league’s No. 1 ranked defense in San Francisco.
Ryans, who spent the past two seasons as the defensive coordinator of the 49ers, earned 206 points. He was named on 48 of 50 ballots.
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson finished second in voting with 113 points, including 11 first-place votes.
Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen came in third with 26 points.
Others receiving first-place votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league included: Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier; Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo; Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon; Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland.
Ryans, a two-time Pro Bowl linebacker during his playing career with the Texans, has spent his entire coaching career with the 49ers. He was San Francisco’s inside linebackers coach from 2018-20 after spending the 2017 season as the defensive quality control coach.
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