Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and wide receiver Tyreek Hill were among betting odds leaders for NFL MVP for much of the 2023 season.
Although each tailed off toward the end of the year and neither is a finalist for MVP, both Tagovailoa and Hill are among Dolphins up for awards at “NFL Honors,” the league’s end-of-season ceremony ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl.
“NFL Honors” airs Thursday at 9 p.m. from Las Vegas, live on CBS and NFL Network and streaming on Paramount+ and NFL+.
Hill is among nominees for the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year, along Baltimore Ravens quarterback and South Florida native Lamar Jackson, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
Tagovailoa is up for Comeback Player of the Year. Other finalists are Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Along with Miami’s star passing and receiving combination, the Dolphins have fullback Alec Ingold as the team’s nominee for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.
The Man of the Year award recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field. Each team nominates one player who has had a significant positive impact on his community.
Although not a finalist for the Associated Press Rookie of the Year — it’s the AP awards that are handed out at “NFL Honors” — Dolphins running back De’Von Achane is among six nominees for an NFL Rookie of the Year award presented by Pepsi. Achane is up against Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs, Lions tight end Sam LaPorta, Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson and Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. The other five are the ones nominated for the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year to be named Thursday night.
Tagovailoa led the league in passing yards (4,624), and Hill was the NFL’s leader in receiving yards (1,799). The two were Pro Bowl starters this past Sunday, and in the flag football event, they connected for a 45-yard touchdown to kick off the scoring in the exhibition in Orlando.
With all the offensive firepower, the Dolphins offense ranked No. 1 in total yards and second in scoring in 2023, plus first in passing offense and sixth in rushing offense.
Achane’s historic rookie season saw him average an astounding 7.8 yards per carry, an NFL record in the Super Bowl era for any running back with at least 100 carries (he had 103). Achane, in 11 games, finished the regular season with 800 rushing yards and 197 receiving yards, plus 11 total touchdowns.
Ingold is involved in a number of charitable ventures off the field.
Through his foundation, he helps local youth through mentorship opportunities, mental health advocacy, physical education, entrepreneurship and financial literacy. Ingold founded the Money Minicamp program to enhance financial literacy at schools in underprivileged communities and dedicated his time to support youth at risk of aging out of foster care.
In his first season in South Florida, Ingold began partnering with Children’s Home Society of Florida, an organization whose mission centers around child welfare services, including foster care and adoption. In 2023, he partnered with CHS to host a free summer camp for youth who are in foster care or have been adopted.
Ingold has partnered with multiple organizations dedicated to adoption and foster care advocacy, including AdoptUSKids, ChildNet and The Barker Adoption Foundation.
Other awards handed out at “NFL Honors” which don’t involve Dolphins are MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Defensive Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year and Assistant Coach of the Year. The five MVP finalists are Jackson, McCaffrey, Prescott, 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
