The NFL Honors ceremony is basically the Oscars for guys who can bench press 400 pounds. You've got the glitz, the suits, and the predictable debates over who got snubbed for MVP. But honestly, if you're looking for the award that actually tracks how the game is changing, you have to look at the FedEx Air Player of the Year.
It used to be simple. A quarterback would throw for a ton of yards, maybe break a record, and take home the trophy. Easy. But the NFL decided to shake things up recently. For the first time in over twenty years, they stopped letting quarterbacks have all the fun. Now, wide receivers and tight ends are crashing the party.
Why the FedEx Air Player of the Year Just Got Complicated
The old guard is probably a bit confused. For the longest time, "Air" meant the person throwing the ball and "Ground" meant the person running it. Simple, right? Well, starting with the 2024-25 season, FedEx and the NFL opened the doors. They realized that guys like Ja’Marr Chase or Puka Nacua were doing just as much "air" work as the QBs.
This shift is huge. It acknowledges that the modern NFL isn't just about a guy standing in a pocket; it’s about the explosive playmakers who catch a ten-yard slant and turn it into a 70-yard highlight. Last year, we saw this play out in a big way when Ja’Marr Chase actually won. He didn't just win a weekly award; he became the first receiver to take home the year-end honor.
He was the Triple Crown winner. Leading the league in catches, yards, and touchdowns. It’s hard to argue with that, even if you’re a die-hard quarterback fan.
The 2025 Finalists: A New Era of Competition
As we head into the 15th annual NFL Honors on February 5, 2026, the list of finalists for the FedEx Air and Ground awards is stacked. It’s not just a bunch of veteran names you’ve heard for a decade. We’re seeing a real youth movement.
- Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills): The man is a machine. He’s looking to go back-to-back after winning the Air award last year. He finished this 2025 season as the only player with 3,000+ passing yards and 500+ rushing yards. He's basically a create-a-player in Madden.
- Drake Maye (New England Patriots): Talk about a rookie impact. Maye led the league in completion percentage (72.0%) and passer rating (113.5). Getting those numbers as a young kid in the NFL is almost unheard of.
- Puka Nacua (LA Rams): He’s proving that his rookie year wasn't a fluke. 129 receptions. He’s currently the only guy who can claim two seasons of 100+ catches and 1,400+ yards in his first three years.
- Trey McBride (Arizona Cardinals): Tight ends usually get ignored in these conversations. Not this time. McBride caught 126 passes this year. That’s a new NFL record for tight ends.
The inclusion of these positions makes the fan voting a lot more chaotic. In the past, you’d just pick the QB with the most stats. Now? You’ve got to decide if a record-breaking tight end is more impressive than a quarterback who threw for 30 touchdowns. It’s a mess, but a fun one.
How the Voting Actually Works (and Why It Matters)
Most people think these awards are chosen by a group of grumpy writers in a dark room. That’s the AP awards. The FedEx Air Player of the Year is different because it’s entirely in the hands of the fans.
You can vote on the NFL website, the mobile app, or even on X (formerly Twitter). It’s a popularity contest, sure, but it’s one backed by massive statistical production. Every week, six nominees are put up for the "Air & Ground" weekly awards. The two players with the most votes win. At the end of the season, the finalists are drawn from the guys who consistently dominated those weekly polls.
There’s a charitable side to this that most fans overlook. FedEx isn't just handing out trophies. Every weekly win results in a $2,000 donation to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) via the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. For the year-end winners, that donation jumps to $20,000. It’s one of the few awards where your fan-boying actually helps someone pay for college.
The Statistical Thresholds for Success
To even get a sniff of this award, you usually need to be hitting some pretty specific numbers. Over the history of the FedEx Air award, winners typically average:
- Over 4,300 passing yards (for QBs).
- At least 30 total touchdowns.
- A completion percentage north of 66%.
For the new "Air" contenders—the receivers—the bar is even higher. You're looking at needing 1,500+ yards and double-digit scores just to be in the conversation. It’s a high-stakes game.
What to Watch for in San Francisco
The 2026 ceremony is being held at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. Jon Hamm is hosting, which should at least make the jokes better than your average corporate event. While everyone will be waiting to see if Josh Allen wins another MVP or if Drake Maye takes Rookie of the Year, the FedEx awards will be the ones to watch for the "people's choice" vibe.
We’re also seeing a change in how the trophies are handed out this year. FedEx is reportedly revealing three distinct trophies for 2026: one for the top QB, one for the top RB, and one for the top WR/TE. It’s a smart move. Comparing a quarterback’s passing yards to a wide receiver’s catch rate is like comparing apples to… well, very fast oranges.
Real-World Impact and Next Steps
If you want to stay ahead of the curve for the upcoming NFL Honors, don't just look at the highlights. The FedEx Air Player of the Year is won in the trenches of consistency.
What you can do now:
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- Track the Finalists: Keep an eye on the official NFL and FedEx social channels during the last week of January. That’s when the voting windows usually close.
- Check the HBCU Impact: If you're curious about where the money goes, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund website lists the specific scholarships funded by these awards.
- Watch the Broadcast: Tune in on Thursday, February 5, 2026, at 9:00 PM ET on NBC or Peacock. This is where the winners are officially crowned before the Super Bowl madness begins.
The game is evolving. The days of a QB-only award are over, and the era of the "all-around playmaker" is officially here. Whether it's a veteran like Allen or a record-breaker like McBride, the Air award is finally catching up to how football is actually played in the 2020s.