Multiple Minnesota Vikings Named Finalists for 2024 NFL Awards

The 2024 Minnesota Vikings season ended way faster than any of us were expected, as they were cruising through November and December undefeated. But, that’s life in the NFL. We knew that seasin finale vs Detroit was must-win, given the No. 1 seed, homefield advantage and a 1st round bye that were all on the line.
Instead, the Vikings lost in week 18 to the Lions and were forced to settle for the No. 5 seed in the NFC. One 1st round road playoff loss vs LA later… and here we are. While we shouldn’t forget about the two-game losing streak that ended the Minnesota Vikings 2024 season, we can’t forget about all the successes either.
Context matters. Let’s not forget, the Vikings were projected to win only 6.5 games this season, and finished with 14. That’s the second-most regular season wins in franchise history. Time heals all wounds, after all… right?
Minnesota Vikings finalists for 2024 NFL Awards
On Thursday, voters for the annual Associated Press NFL Awards reminded us of just that when they named quarterback Sam Darnold (CPOY), head coach Kevin O’Connell (COY) and defensive coordinator Brian Flores (ACOY) in as finalists for separate categories of the 2024 NFL end of season awards.
Coach of the Year | Asst Coach of the Year | Comeback Player of the Year |
---|---|---|
Kevin O’Connell (MIN) | Brian Flores (MIN) | Sam Darnold (MIN) |
Dan Campbell (DET) | Joe Brady (BUF) | Joe Burrow (CIN) |
Sean Payton (DEN) | Vic Fangio (PHI) | J.K. Dobbins (LAC) |
Dan Quinn (WAS) | Aaron Glenn (DET) | Christian Gonzalez (NE) |
Andy Reid (KC) | Ben Johnson (DET) | Damar Hamlin (BUF) |
Kevin O’Connell has been the leader in the clubhouse for NFL Coach of the Year, for most of the last two months. Thursday morning, sportsbooks removed odds for the 2024 NFL awards, upon the release today of the AP’s top 5 finalists for each category. When odds return for NFL COY, Assistant Coach of the Year and Comeback Player of the year, they will be added here.
Sam Darnold embroiled in NFL Comeback Player of the Year controversy

The one end of season NFL award that plugged-in pundits are watching this cycle is Comeback Player of the Year. Prior to the start of the season, AP NFL awards voters received a memo that seemed to set specific guidelines for CPOY voting; guidelines that did not help Sam Darnold’s chances of winning 2024 Comeback Player of the Year.
“The spirit of the AP Comeback Player of the Year award is to honor a player who has demonstrated resilience in the face of adversity by overcoming illness, physical injury or other circumstances that led him to miss playing time the previous season.”
Associated Press senior NFL writer Rob Maadi
Essentially, the AP wanted to make the rule into one that focuses more on players returning from injury, not players like Sam Darnold — a former 3rd overall pick turned bust — who proved to be completely rehabilitated by throwing for over 4,300 yards, 35 TDs and 12 INTs.
Related: Vikings’ Rival Coaching Staff Decimated by 2025 NFL Coaching Carousel
Many fans and NFL media members believe the new voting guidelines for CPOY were put in place to assure Damar Hamlin wins this year, after he lost in shocking fashion last season to Joe Flacco.
Rumors behind the voting scene, however, indicate that many AP voters do not like the “spirit” of these new guidelines, leaving a real possibility that Darnold wins, despite the effort to keep him from it.
The AP continues to devalue their own awards by changing their standards year over year.
— Hänsel (@UberHansen) January 23, 2025
They made a MASSIVE and embarrassing mistake not naming Damar Hamlin CPOY last year.
Now they want to correct it this year? That's not how this works. You goofed, stay goofy.
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