2023 Panthers Season Awards

Awarding the team's MVP, OPOY, DPOY, and more...

Author:
Matt Alquiza
Jan 13, 2024 10:05 AM EST

In this story:

In just a few weeks, the NFL will announce the winners of the league’s annual awards at the NFL Honors ceremony. Since it is unlikely that any Panthers will walk away from that night with some hardware, I’ve decided to crown some players with All Panthers Awards.

Put on your best suit or cocktail dress, order your favorite drink, and enjoy All Panthers Honors 2024.

Panthers Comeback Player of the Year: Chubba Hubbard

Hubbard’s 2023 season was impressive. The 2021 draftee carved up defenses all season long and before long was the team’s primary offensive weapon. Hubbard's 902 rushing yards and five touchdowns both led the team, marking career highs. Hubbard also set career highs in receptions and receiving yards.

On Hubbard’s draft night, former Carolina head coach Matt Rhule’s wife stole the show from the draftee. She persuaded Rhule to draft Hubbard because of his exploits at Oklahoma State. In 2019, Hubbard’s sophomore year, he ran for 171 yards and two touchdowns against Rhule’s Baylor Bears. This interaction between Rhule and his wife led to some disdain from fans about Hubbard. His play on the field in 2023 silenced the haters as he proved himself to be a valuable contributor in the NFL.

Panthers Offensive Player of the Year: Adam Thielen

For a team with an abysmal offense, Offensive Player of the Year is a funny exercise, but quietly, a member of the Carolina offense had one of the best years in the history of the franchise.

Did you know that Adam Thielen is only the fourth player in franchise history to haul in over 100 receptions? Did you know that Thielen’s 103 receptions are third all-time in Panthers history? And that his 1014 yards are top-20 all time for Carolina players?

The signing of Thielen was much maligned, but he delivered as a chain-moving force over and over again. All too often Bryce Young was scrambling to find an option downfield, and more often than not, Thielen was Young’s receiver of choice.

Panthers Defensive Player of the Year: Derrick Brown

The slam dunk option, and truthfully there isn’t a close second. Brown’s season has been well-documented on All Panthers, but the big man in the middle of the defense deserves his flowers.

Derrick Brown should have been a Pro Bowler, he deserved to be named to an All-Pro team, and it’s a travesty that his record-setting 2023 season is going to be lost in the annals of history because of the incompetence around him.

Panthers Most Valuable Player: Derrick Brown

Double dipping here. Brown doesn't play the most valuable position in football, but he was by far the most impactful and irreplaceable player on the team. For me, that combo makes him the most valuable.

Panthers Rookie of the Year: Bryce Young

Another slam dunk. Young faced minimal competition for this award. All three draftees, Jonathan Mingo, DJ Johnson, and Jammie Robinson, failed to produce as rookies. And while Young failed to set the world on fire, he did all he could with limited talent on offense.

Panthers Coach of the Year: Ejiro Evero

This one was close between Chris Tabor and Evero, but the (relative) success of the defense wins out. On paper, Evero’s unit was below-average. However, football isn’t played on spreadsheets, and anybody who watched the Panthers had to leave the season impressed with the job that Evero did.

Carolina lacked a consistent pass rush, rotated defensive backs like you and I rotate pairs of socks, and lost their leader and on-field play caller in week two. In spite of those circumstances, the defensive personnel came to play ball every single week.

The statistics are ugly, but the offensive failures left the defense with the deck stacked against them week after week. Evero is getting head coaching interviews for a reason, and he deserves this award.