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NFL Offensive Player of the Year Winners List

NFL Offensive Player of the Year Winners

Every year, at the end of each NFL season, a number of awards are given out to players who distinguish themselves both on and off the field, both as athletes and philanthropists. One of the many on-field, performance-based awards that is given out each year is the Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award (OPOY). This award recognizes the accomplishments of the most valuable and excellent offensive player that season. So who has won this prestigious award? Has anyone won it more than once? How are winners determined? Read on to find out!

NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award

The Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award is given out each year to an offensive player who had the best performance in the previous season. The NFL considers the voting done by the Associated Press to be the official criteria for determining the winner of the award, though other organizations hold similar polls for offensive player performance.  

List of Offensive Player of the Year Winners

  • 1972: Larry Brown (Washington Redskins)
  • 1973: O. J. Simpson (Buffalo Bills)
  • 1974: Ken Stabler (Oakland Raiders)
  • 1975: Fran Tarkenton (Minnesota Vikings)
  • 1976: Bert Jones (Baltimore Colts)
  • 1977: Walter Payton (Chicago Bears)
  • 1978: Earl Campbell (Houston Oilers)
  • 1979: Earl Campbell (Houston Oilers)
  • 1980: Earl Campbell (Houston Oilers)
  • 1981: Ken Anderson (Cincinnati Bengals)
  • 1982: Dan Fouts (San Diego Chargers)
  • 1983: Joe Theismann (Washington Redskins)
  • 1984: Dan Marino (Miami Dolphins)
  • 1985: Marcus Allen (Los Angeles Raiders)
  • 1986: Eric Dickerson (Los Angeles Rams)
  • 1987: Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers)
  • 1988: Roger Craig (San Francisco 49ers)
  • 1989: Joe Montana (San Francisco 49ers)
  • 1990: Warren Moon (Houston Oilers)
  • 1991: Thurman Thomas (Buffalo Bills)
  • 1992: Steve Young (San Francisco 49ers)
  • 1993: Jerry Rice (San Francisco 49ers)
  • 1994: Barry Sanders (Detroit Lions)
  • 1995: Brett Favre (Green Bay Packers)
  • 1996: Terrell Davis (Denver Broncos)
  • 1997: Barry Sanders (Detroit Lions)
  • 1998: Terrell Davis (Denver Broncos)
  • 1999: Marshall Faulk (St. Louis Rams)
  • 2000: Marshall Faulk (St. Louis Rams)
  • 2001: Marshall Faulk (St. Louis Ram)
  • 2002: Priest Holmes (Kansas City Chiefs)
  • 2003: Jamal Lewis (Baltimore Ravens)
  • 2004: Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts)
  • 2005: Shaun Alexander (Seattle Seahawks)
  • 2006: LaDainian Tomlinson (San Diego Chargers)
  • 2007: Tom Brady (New England Patriots)
  • 2008: Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints)
  • 2009: Chris Johnson (Tennessee Titans)
  • 2010: Tom Brady (New England Patriots)
  • 2011: Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints)
  • 2012: Adrian Peterson (Minnesota Vikings)
  • 2013: Peyton Manning (Denver Broncos)
  • 2014: DeMarco Murray (Dallas Cowboys)
  • 2015: Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers)
  • 2016: Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons)
  • 2017: Todd Gurley (Los Angeles Rams)
  • 2018: Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs)
  • 2019: Michael Thomas (New Orleans Saints)
  • 2020: Derrick Henry (Tennessee Titans)
  • 2021: Cooper Kupp (Los Angeles Rams)
  • 2022: TBA

NFL Offensive Player of the Year Winners By Most Wins

FAQ

What is the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award?

The Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award (OPOY) is an award given out each season by the NFL and the Associated Press to the most outstanding offensive player of the preceding season. The OPOY Award recognizes the offensive player with the best combination of statistics and overall performance across the season, and is voted on by a panel of top sportswriters assembled by the AP.

Who has won the most Offensive Player of the Year Awards?

Running backs Earl Campbell and Marshall Faulk have won the most Offensive Player of the Year Awards, with three wins each. Campbell, a running back for the Houston Oilers, won the OPOY Award in three consecutive years from 1978-1980. Faulk, who played for the St. Louis Rams, also won his OPOY Awards in three consecutive years, from 1999-2001.

How is the NFL Offensive Player of the Year chosen?

The NFL Offensive Player of the Year is chosen annually through a vote by the Associated Press, who are responsible for giving out the award. In order to determine the award’s recipient, the AP assembles a large panel that consists of the most prominent sportswriters and analysts in the United States. After examining the list of candidates, the panel holds a vote, and the player who receives the most votes wins the award.

What positions win the OPOY Award the most?

Historically, the vast majority of OPOY Award winners have been either quarterbacks or running backs. Out of the 50 OPOY Awards that have been given out since 1972, 46 have been given to either a quarterback or running back. The only other position that has ever received the award is the wide receiver, with WRs making up the other four of the 50 OPOY Awards that have been given out. Two of these wide receivers, Michael Thomas and Cooper Kupp, received the award within the past five years, with Thomas receiving it in 2019 and Kupp in 2021.

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