NFL Honors Awards 2016: Bleacher Report's Final Expert Awards
If there's one thing the NFL loves more than money...
OK, there's nothing the NFL loves more than money.
One way to fatten the league's already bursting coffers is with more televised programming. Because a nation of football-starved lunatics (myself among them) would watch paint dry if it was Denver Broncos orange vs. Carolina Panthers blue.
With that in mind, over the past few years the NFL has changed how its individual awards are announced. Gone are the days of press releases. Now, we have the NFL Honors, a black-tie gala the day before the Super Bowl. We'll learn the Walter Payton Man of the Year, the Defensive Player of the Year and the 2015 NFL MVP.
This year's incarnation, held at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, will be televised on CBS and hosted by Conan O'Brien.
Well, Bleacher Report has its own skinny ginger who thinks he's funnier than he actually is (Hi. Name's Gary. Pleased to meet you.), so we're holding a little honors ceremony all our own, based on the votes of eight B/R experts.
I'll spare you a tedious monologue, although I wish Triumph the Insult Comic Dog was here.
The envelope, please.
Coach of the Year
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Winner: Ron Rivera, Carolina Panthers (5 votes)
The coaches in this year's NFC Championship Game have cornered the market on this particular trophy. In fact, should things play out the way our panel suggests, Rivera and Bruce Arians will have alternated wins dating back to Arians' victory as interim coach in Indianapolis in 2012.
It's a run by two men unprecedented in the modern history of the NFL.
It's hard to argue Rivera hasn't earned the kudos. The Panthers won their third straight NFC South title in 2015 and came within a single game of a perfect regular season. Fresh off their NFC title game beatdown of the Redbirds, the Panthers are 60 minutes away from lifting the Lombardi Trophy as world champions.
Rivera has a chance to make some personal history as well. Three men in league history (Tony Dungy, Tom Flores and Rivera's old coach, Mike Ditka) have won football's biggest game as a player and coach. Rivera would be the fourth.
And Rivera is using some of Ditka's mantras from 30 years ago to approach this week's game, according to ESPN.com's David Newton:
""One of the things Coach Ditka emphasized to us was to enjoy the moment,'' said Rivera, a second-year linebacker for the '85 Bears team that beat the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX.
"The moment doesn't come very often. It's hard. It's hard to get to where we are right now.''
...
The other piece of advice Rivera took from the '85 Bears was to not change.
"Do what you've done,'' Rivera said. "Some of my experiences in coaching, you get to certain experiences like the playoffs, and sometimes you get a little bit of panic. Am I doing enough? Should I do more? Should I change this?
"I told our coordinators this morning, we're going to stick to what got us to where we are. We'll emphasize that to the players and make sure we keep our personality.''
"
Given that that personality has gotten the Panthers a 17-1 record this season and got the Bears one of the all-time Super Bowl blowouts over the New England Patriots, not fixing things that aren't broken sounds like a wise course of action.
As does skipping Saturday's awards ceremony.
After all, there's one more game to get ready for.
Others receiving votes: Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs (3 votes)
Offensive Player of the Year
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Winner: Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers (8 votes)
Speaking of skipping Saturday's awards, one player in particular will probably clean up but shouldn't show up.
However, anyone willing to rock those pants is a man who dances to his own drum, so Newton may well be in attendance.
And if he does go, God bless him. Newton has earned the right to take a bow. In 2015 he took his game to an entirely new level. He notched career highs in touchdown passes and passer rating, despite the loss of No. 1 receiver Kelvin Benjamin before the season.
As Steven Ruiz of USA Today's For the Win wrote, it isn't just that Newton had a historic season for a quarterback—he carried the Panthers to the Super Bowl:
"It was undoubtedly a big year for the 26-year-old, who completely eviscerated the notion that he’d never develop into a consistent pocket passer. Newton made that evolutionary step while maintaining his importance in Carolina’s run game, which is built entirely around him. Newton produced the type of all-around season we have never seen from a quarterback.
Maybe the biggest factor working in Newton’s favor for the MVP race is the underwhelming supporting cast he’s working with. The narrative says Newton has put the Panthers on his back all season, and the numbers seem to back that up. Only Drew Brees, in 2012, accounted for a higher percentage of his team’s total yards than Newton.
"
About that whole MVP thing...
Let's just say this might not be the last time you'll see Newton's name in this article.
Defensive Player of the Year
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Winner: Aaron Donald, DT, St. Louis Rams (5 votes)
We're in a golden age in the NFL, whether people realize it or not.
Well, quarterbacks realize it, because they are running for their lives.
Spearheaded by J.J. Watt of the Houston Texans (the 2014 Defensive Player of the Year and 2015 sack king), the number of young, talented pass-rushers in the NFL is just mind-boggling.
Kansas City's Justin Houston. Denver's Von Miller. Oakland's Khalil Mack. The Jets' Muhammad Wilkerson. Detroit's Ziggy Ansah. Cincinnati's Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins.
The list goes on and on and on.
And none of those great, young pass-rushers will win Defensive Player of the Year in 2015.
No, in the opinion of our panel that distinction goes to St. Louis Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald.
Or Los Angeles Rams...now I'm getting confused. He played in St. Louis, but the team's name is...my head hurts.
All Donald did in his second NFL season was rack up 69 tackles and 11 sacks, emerging as the most disruptive player in the NFL at his position.
Oh, and as ESPN.com's Nick Wagoner pointed out, Donald received the highest grade of any player in the NFL from Pro Football Focus...ever:
"According to PFF's grading scale, Donald maxed out with the highest possible grade of 99.9, as high a mark as Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt's best season. In other words, since PFF began grading players, Donald had one of the best single-season performances in their eyes.
Donald's production has slowly but surely started earning him some credit in the eyes of league observers. He's only two seasons into what figures to be a promising career, but there's no doubt that even if you don't agree he should be No. 1 overall, he's quickly ascending the list of the best players in the NFL.
"
A perfect score for an entire season is good, right?
It sounds good.
Others receiving votes: J.J. Watt, God of all things defensive, Houston Texans (3 votes)
Offensive Rookie of the Year
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Winner: Todd Gurley, RB, St. Louis Rams (5 votes)
The Rams played in St. Louis when they did what they did, so I'm writing in Gurley as being from the Gateway City too. Sue me. I'm old and fear change.
The San Diego Raiders...please no.
Yep, it's two straight awards for the Rams. Which begs the question why the teams there are always so mediocre.
The Rams raised a few eyebrows when they drafted Gurley 10th overall last April, largely because his last season at the University of Georgia ended with a torn ACL.
The rest of those eyebrows went up once he took the field.
Despite only playing in 13 games (starting 12), Gurley placed third in the NFL in rushing, gaining more than 1,100 yards. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry, scored 10 touchdowns and topped 100 yards on the ground in each of his first four starts.
That's good enough for Gil Brandt of NFL.com:
"I had Todd Gurley as my top OROY candidate back in August, and he didn't disappoint. Gurley had the second-highest yards-per-attempt average in the NFL (4.8, behind only Doug Martin's 4.9) among players with 150-plus carries. Despite missing three games, and a portion of another, Gurley gained 1,106 yards.
More so than anybody on offense, Gurley was responsible for the Rams winning seven games this season. A lot of times, a running back has a better opportunity to be special when there's a bona fide quarterback on the team, but the Rams didn't have that, so defenses packed it in to stop Gurley. Still, he managed five games of 125-plus rushing yards. Gurley also did a fine job as a pass protector and receiver.
"
If our panel is correct, it's good enough for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors as well.
And while Gurley will have a long way to go to approach the impact Eric Dickerson had in the backfield in La La Land, the youngster is off to a nice start.
Others receiving votes: Amari Cooper, WR, Oakland Raiders (2 votes), Jameis Winston, QB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 vote)
Defensive Rookie of the Year
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Winner: Marcus Peters, CB, Kansas City Chiefs (8 votes)
There may not be a harder position in football to make the jump from college to the pros than cornerback. Many young players at the position take a season or two to develop. Some elite collegians never get the hang of it.
Looking at you, Justin Gilbert.
All Marcus Peters of the Kansas City Chiefs did in his first NFL season was tie for the league lead in interceptions with eight.
As BJ Kissel of the Chiefs' website reported, that puts a player who was kicked off the college team at Washington the year before in rarefied air:
"Only five times since 1986 has a rookie led or tied for the league lead in interceptions, and only six times since 1970 has a single player produced more interceptions than his team did as a whole in the previous season.
The Chiefs had 6 interceptions as a team in 2014, and as Pro Football Hall of Famer and current defensive backs coach for the Chiefs, Emmitt Thomas, said back at training camp, “He’s what we’ve been missing back there.”
Peters also had 26 passes defensed, which is the best mark in franchise history.
"
General manager John Dorsey told Kissel the team looked past Peters' issues at UW and saw the superstar potential underneath:
"If we didn’t think that he was what he is, we probably wouldn’t have drafted him. But we did our thorough research. He’s incredibly smart and he's incredibly instinctive. He has a deep passion for the game and once he stepped onto that field, we knew he was a true professional.
He doesn’t want to be good; he wants to be great, and I admire that in him.
"
Through one season at least, the Chiefs' faith in Peters appears to have been more than justified, as he's the runaway choice as 2015's top defensive newcomer.
Comeback Player of the Year
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Winner: Eric Berry, S, Kansas City Chiefs (6 votes)
Generally speaking, the top contenders for Comeback Player of the Year are players who return from injury to post stellar seasons. Like Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, who posted career numbers while leading the Redbirds to the NFC title game.
Or San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker NaVorro Bowman, who went from not playing at all in 2014 to leading the NFL in tackles.
However, Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry sort of has them beat. It wasn't an injury that forced the sixth-year Pro Bowler from action in 2014.
It was cancer.
However, less than one year after being diagnosed, Berry was back on the field. Cornerback Sean Smith told the Wall Street Journal (via Fox Sports) about Berry, who underwent chemo while simultaneously preparing for the season: "Eric is a guy who normally works out for his lunch break. He's not going to stop working out just because he's fighting death."
And Berry did more than just return. He did so at a high level, according to Kevin Connaghan of Pro Football Focus:
"Berry finished the year with an 87.7 overall rating, which ranked fifth among safeties. Berry’s 85.2 coverage rating was fourth-best in the league. His performance was good enough to earn second team PFF All-Pro honors, and helped the Chiefs into the playoffs. Against the Texans in the Wildcard game, Berry had a pick and the best coverage grade on the Chiefs defense.
"
Not bad, especially with the Chiefs winning 11 straight games in 2015 on the way to their first playoff run in more than two decades.
Berry was the PFF Comeback Player of the Year. Ditto for the Pro Football Writers of America.
Our panel sees Berry adding to the list Saturday night.
Others receiving votes: Carson Palmer, QB, Arizona Cardinals (2 votes)
NFL Sportsmanship Award
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Winner: Luke Kuechly, LB, Carolina Panthers (4 votes)
The Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award isn't exactly a household name just yet. After all, the NFL has only given it out once—in 2014, when Arizona Cardinals wideout Larry Fitzgerald brought home the hardware.
The award, given annually to the player who "best demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition," according to NFL.com, is decided by players at the Pro Bowl.
A panel including Warrick Dunn, Curtis Martin, Karl Mecklenburg and Leonard Wheeler whittled down a list of 32 nominees (one per team) to eight finalists. Then, a winner is selected by the players and announced at the NFL Honors.
That winner, in turn, receives a donation of $25,000 for the charity of his choice and the knowledge that he has been selected by his peers as the best guy among good guys.
In case you were wondering, linebacker Vontaze Burfict of the Cincinnati Bengals was not a finalist in 2015.
However, Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly is. Joining him, per the Baltimore Ravens website, are wide receiver Calvin Johnson of the Lions, running backs Matt Forte of the Bears and Justin Forsett of the Ravens, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck of the Colts, cornerback Jason McCourty of the Titans, safety Charles Woodson of the Raiders and tackle Joe Staley of the 49ers.
It's a nearly impossible award to handicap. All those players have reputation as pro's pros. Any of them would be a worthy recipient.
But in the year of the Panthers, our panel's prediction is Kuechly, who brought home the Defensive Player of the Year award at the third NFL Honors.
This is the fifth, in case you were wondering.
However, despite Kuechly's reputation as squeaky clean, Cam Newton told Steve Reed of the Associated Press (via GazetteNet.com) there's another side to the All Pro:
"“He has this alter ego he manages to control. In the locker room he’s so jolly, like, ‘Hi Cameron,’” said quarterback Cam Newton, raising the pitch in his voice at the end to simulate Kuechly’s cheery voice.
“And then on the field he’s like ‘Arrrrgh!’” Newton said, his voice turning more intense.
The QB shakes his head, “It’s crazy.”
"
Oh who are they kidding? Kuechly probably apologizes after every tackle for loss. Not that he'll stop making them...
He just feels bad is all.
Others receiving votes: Charles Woodson, S, Oakland Raiders (3 votes), Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Indianapolis Colts (1 vote)
NFL.com Fantasy Player of the Year
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Winner: Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers (7 votes)
On one hand, I want to rail against this choice. As the lone dissenter, I want to point out that Atlanta Falcons running back Devonta Freeman's amazing rise from fantasy backup to king of the mountain at his position in most scoring systems made him the game's most valuable asset in 2015.
The thing is, I really can't. Not with Newton this season.
You see, it wasn't just the fact that Newton was the highest-scoring fantasy quarterback in 2015 (in FFToday.com default scoring) by a margin of more than three points per game.
When you also factor in Newton's average fantasy draft position of 11th among quarterbacks at Fantasy Pros, the fifth-year pro represents one of the season's biggest values at any position.
Simply put, as David Dorey of The Huddle wrote for USA Today, Newton was the kind of draft pick who wins championships:
"A true lesson in the power of talent, Newton was downgraded last summer when he lost his best receiver. After all, Kelvin Benjamin accounted for half of all touchdown catches (nine) and 45% of all passes thrown to the wide receivers in 2014. This season, Newton was forced to spread his passes among all receivers and it resulted in 3,837 yards and a career-best 35 touchdowns. He also added 132 rushes for 636 yards and added 10 more scores. A quarterback most often selected as a backup ended up as the season's top scorer by a large margin in most fantasy leagues.
"
Yes, Freeman is a worthy candidate. So is Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown. And Minnesota Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson. Given the fan vote and Newton's polarizing status, anything is possible.
But this is the year of Newton and the Panthers. In both real and fantasy football.
Others receiving votes: Devonta Freeman, RB, Atlanta Falcons (1 vote)
FedEx Air Player of the Year
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UPDATE: The Arizona Cardinals announced Saturday that Carson Palmer was named FedEx Air Player of the Year.
Winner: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots (5 votes)
Thank goodness for the recently created FedEx Air and Ground Player of the Year Awards.
After all, if there's one position in the NFL that is vastly and completely underrepresented come awards season, it's quarterback. As if things weren't already bad with their lack of notoriety and relatively low salaries relative to other positions.
The poor darlings. Left out in the cold.
Speaking of left out in the cold, the FedEx Air Player of the Year affords New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady a chance to actually win something after passing for 4,770 yards and 36 touchdowns in 2015.
After so many years of toiling in obscurity, it's about time Brady got some sort of accolades.
And...I'll stop being sarcastic now.
Joking aside, Brady had a great season. Those 36 touchdowns were his most since he threw 39 in 2011, which was also the last time (until this year) his passer rating hit triple digits.
It was a performance made all the more remarkable given Brady's age (38), but Brian Billick of the NFL Network told Karen Guregian of the Boston Globe he doesn't see the end of the line coming any time soon for Brady:
"There were no signs of his skills diminishing. Father Time is undefeated, so it will begin to show up, and particularly under some of the duress he had. ... But I saw nothing to indicate that there’s a drop-off in skill level that should concern him about how much longer he should be doing it.
"
Who knows? Maybe given a few more years Brady can even win a Super Bowl.
OK. Now I'm done being sarcastic.
Others receiving votes: Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Pittsburgh Steelers (1 vote), Carson Palmer, QB, Arizona Cardinals (1 vote), Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints (1 vote)
FedEx Ground Player of the Year
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UPDATE: The Vikings announced Saturday that Adrian Peterson was named FedEx Ground Player of the Year.
Winner: Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings (6 votes)
In the dozen years or so that the FedEx Ground Player of the Year Award has been awarded, two players have received the honor on multiple occasions.
This year, Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings is aiming to become the first to do it three times.
His resume is the strongest of any tailback in the game. No running back in the NFL had more rushing yards than Peterson's 1,485. His 11 rushing scores tied three other players for tops in the league. And for the second time in four years, the Vikings offense rode Peterson all the way to the playoffs.
Not bad for a running back who barely played last season and turned 30 before the 2015 campaign began.
As ESPN.com's Ben Goessling reported, there wasn't much question as to who the NFC North's Most Valuable Player was in 2015:
"He became the first 30-something back to lead the NFL in rushing in 11 years. He accounted for about one-third of the Minnesota Vikings' total yards while helping them win their first NFC North title since 2009.
At age 30 and coming off a 15-game absence in 2014 following his indictment on child injury charges, Peterson ran for a league-high 1,485 yards on 327 carries (also the most in the league). He tied for the league lead with 11 rushing touchdowns, and had the fourth-longest run in the NFL on Nov. 15, when he reeled off an 80-yard touchdown to break open the Vikings' win over the Oakland Raiders.
"
Peterson accounted for a higher percentage of his team's total offense than any player in the NFL in 2015. This was a team that ranked 31st in the NFL in passing.
There was no doubt what the Vikings were going to do. Run Peterson. All Day.
Which, as it turns out, is just how he likes it.
Others receiving votes: Doug Martin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2 votes)
Walter Payton Man of the Year
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Winner: Benjamin Watson, TE, New Orleans Saints (4 votes)
The Walter Payton Man of the Year Award doesn't have the cachet of Most Valuable Player or Rookie of the Year.
That's something of a shame, because the award is named after one of the game's all-time great warrior citizens.
As the Saints' website pointed out in announcing that Watson was also a finalist this year for the NFLPA's Whizzer White Award (presented by the players' union "to the player that is just as dedicated off the field as he is on it"), Watson's case to bring the honor home is a strong one:
"Watson, a member of the NFLPA Executive Committee, is a finalist for the 2015 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. His Watson One More Foundation hosts events for families in need, including holiday gift giveaways, tailgate-themed parties for local homeless individuals and a youth football camp. The tight end also supports of a variety of faith-based transitional and enrichment programs.
"
When Watson wasn't doing that? As he told Jenny Vrentas of The MMQB, he was penning Under Our Skin, a book of his observations on issues of race in America:
"I never thought, a year ago, that I’d be sitting here talking about a book I had written. The incident in Ferguson happened during training camp last year, and I was following it like everyone else, and waiting for the [grand jury] decision to be made. It came down during our Monday Night Football game, and I remember coming home and watching CNN, FOX and the local news, seeing those images and feeling all those emotions I ended up writing down. I didn’t quite know what to say or how to say it, but I’ve always kind of liked to write a little bit. Over the course of those next two days, I started to write down those thoughts on my iPhone. I didn’t even know how to post to Facebook at the time, so I sent it to somebody and they put it on my page. My wife said, “Did you post something to Facebook? My feed is going crazy.” My phone had died, and I had no idea. Over the course of the next few months, I had the opportunity to speak at some churches, social events, and go on TV to talk about my thoughts. That led to people saying, “You should expand on that,” and the opportunity was presented to write this book.
"
Oh, and around those Watson had by far the best season of his career on the field, notching career bests (74 catches, 825 yards, six touchdowns) across the board. At the age of 35.
It's a year that deserves to be recognized.
Others receiving votes: Anquan Boldin, WR, San Francisco 49ers (3 votes), Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants (1 vote)
Bridgestone Performance Play of the Year
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Winner: Aaron Rodgers' Hail Mary (6 votes)
The craziest thing about Aaron Rodgers' Hail Mary taking home the Bridgestone Performance Play of the Year in the eyes of our experts isn't that the play is the winner.
It's that I now have to specify which Aaron Rodgers Hail Mary from the past season.
For the record, we aren't talking about the Hail Mary that sent the Packers and Arizona Cardinals to overtime in the divisional round.
Nah. That was just your average, run-of-the-mill Hail Mary. Happens all the time.
Piece...of...cake.
Although one would think teams might start defending these a bit better.
But I digress. No, we're talking about Rodgers' first Hail Mary of the season—a 60-yard rainbow of a prayer on an untimed down to tight end Richard Rodgers that ripped the heart out of whatever was left of the Detroit Lions' season at that point.
It was a play that astounded even Rodgers, according to NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal.
"When he caught it, I blacked out," Rodgers said. "It's the greatest feeling I've had on the field in a long time."
Two Hail Marys in six weeks.
For reals.
Others receiving votes: Gary Barnidge's "butt catch" (1 vote), DeAndre Hopkins' one-handed grab (1 vote)
Salute to Service Award
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Winner: Jared Allen, DE, Carolina Panthers (5 votes)
As the league announced a couple of weeks ago, we know that this year's Salute to Service Award Winner will be one of two men. Both have gone above and beyond in their work with American servicemen and servicewomen.
There's Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Vincent Jackson, who has been nominated by his team each of the past two years, per NFL.com:
"Jackson and his wife Lindsey hosted the inaugural Military Moms Baby Shower for 40 expecting or recently delivered military moms in October 2014. Jackson and his wife surprised each woman with $1,000 in merchandise to help them care for their infant. Jackson provides a special gameday experience for local military families through the Jackson in Action Front Row Fans section. This is the second year in a row the Buccaneers have nominated Jackson for the Salute to Service Award presented by USAA.
"
Jackson views that nomination as a great honor:
"I want to thank the NFL and USAA for their continued efforts to bring awareness to the sacrifices of our service members and their families. I am humbled to even be considered for such a distinction, and I hope that this award will continue to inspire support for those who serve and protect us, both home and abroad.
"
Then there's Carolina Panthers defensive end Jared Allen, who is also a long-term supporter of Veterans' causes:
"Allen created the Helping Heroes Gala, held annually around Veterans Day, to raise funds for JAH4WW. From NFL-USO tours, military visits and monetary donations, to hosting golf tournaments and galas, Allen is committed to honoring and supporting wounded veterans. This marks the second consecutive year Allen is a finalist for the Salute to Service Award presented by USAA.
"
Allen was similarly thankful to again be a finalist, stating that "it's an honor to be considered for such an award that encourages people to support the men and women who serve this great country."
There's no bad choice here.
But in the year of the Panthers, Allen is the call.
Others receiving votes: Vincent Jackson, WR, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3 votes)
Most Valuable Player
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Winner: Cam Newton, QB, Carolina Panthers (All the Votes)
Yeah, like it was going to be anyone else.
The NFL MVP award might as well be the BQB award. Because the lion's share of the time, the NFL's highest individual honor is usually just a coronation of that season's best quarterback.
Two years ago, it was Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos.
Last year, it was Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers.
And in 2015, there's no real question who the NFL's top quarterback was.
As Chris Wesseling of NFL.com reported, Manning doesn't have any doubt who the league's Most Valuable Player is:
"He's [Newton] just had this incredible year. There's no doubt in my mind he's going to be the MVP on Saturday night. What he's done in the short time being an NFL quarterback, he's been awesome. He's been awesome. That's the best word I can think of.
He's been a great passer, he's been a great runner, he's been a great leader. You don't go 17-1 as a starting quarterback without being awesome. And that's what he's been this year without a doubt.
"
That's a triple awesome, by golly.
If Newton is able to win MVP honors and go on to complete the year of the Panthers with a win in Super Bowl 50, he would enter the history books in a couple of ways.
Only two teams in NFL history have ended one-loss seasons with a Super Bowl win, the last being the 1985 Chicago Bears.
And, per ESPN Radio's Josiah Turner, only running back Marcus Allen has won the Heisman Trophy, a national championship, the NFL MVP award and the Super Bowl.
Every one of the writers here at Bleacher Report expects Newton to cap the NFL Honors by making it three of four Saturday night.
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