Four Former Ohio State Buckeyes Earn Finalist Spots in NFL Regular Season Awards

The Scarlet and Gray made its presence known in the NFL during the 2025 regular season.

Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in overtime at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

As the NFL Conference Championship games kick off Sunday, the finalists for the NFL Honors were announced Thursday morning.

It was a standout year for former Ohio State players, with Buckeyes represented in three different award categories: Coach of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Each finalist who previously donned the Scarlet and Gray has a chance to take home their respective award.

Offensive Player of the Year finalist: Seattle Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Soaring to new heights with the Seahawks, Jaxon Smith-Njigba had a career year in his third season with Seattle.

The former Buckeye led the NFL in receiving yards and broke a Seahawks record by recording 1,793 yards. Smith-Njigba hauled in 119 receptions for 10 touchdowns and helped lead Seattle to the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a record of 14-3.

Smith-Njigba is the odds-on favorite to win the award, with fellow NFC West wide receiver Puka Nuka, a member of the Los Angeles Rams, being considered as the only other true candidate for the honor.

Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist: New England Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson

Another former Ohio State player whose team went 14-3, TreVeyon Henderson got rolling in the latter half of the season for the Patriots.

Henderson rushed for 911 yards and nine touchdowns during his rookie year in New England, averaging 7.1 yards per attempt, which ranked No. 7 in the NFL. The former Ohio State running back played a major role in the revival of the Patriots and their offense, as the franchise finished the 2024 regular season with a record of just 4-13.

Panthers rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillian sits as the favorite to win the award, with Henderson, a second-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, projected as the runner-up.

Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist: Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka

Joining Henderson as the other 2024 national championship-winning Buckeye being considered for the award, Emeka Egbuka shined early in his rookie season.

Egbuka caught 63 passes for 938 yards and six touchdowns with Tampa Bay as the No. 19 overall pick. Through five games, Egbuka had 445 receiving yards and five touchdowns, leading many to believe he was the early favorite to run away with the award.

The former Ohio State receiver was not able to maintain the same level of production he had early in the season, however, only catching one touchdown and recording 493 yards over the remaining 12 games.

Egbuka sits with the fifth-best odds to win the honor.

Coach of the Year finalist: New England Patriots HC Mike Vrabel

The Patriots are represented in six different honors categories, with head coach Mike Vrabel competing with Bears head coach Ben Johnson to win Coach of the Year.

Arguably the closest race of the eight NFL awards, Vrabel’s case to earn the award is highlighted by his ability to bring New England, who finished last in the AFC South in 2024, to a division title this season and the No. 2 seed in the playoffs.

A former linebacker and positional coach for the Buckeyes, this is Vrabel’s first season as the Patriots’ head coach. He also served as the head coach for the Tennessee Titans from 2018 to 2023, where he won Coach of the Year in 2021.

The award winners will be announced at NFL Honors Feb. 5.