NFL 2026 Midseason Awards: Joe Burrow wins MVP, Will Anderson Jr. is Defensive Player of the Year

PFF has released its NFL 2026 Midseason Awards, with quarterback Joe Burrow named Most Valuable Player and defensive end Will Anderson Jr. named Defensive Player of the Year. The report focuses on the midpoint of the 2026 NFL season and recognizes one player on offense and one on defense as the leading performers so far. No other award categories, nominees, or winners are identified in the coverage available.

The report comes from PFF, the outlet that published the midseason awards list, and the coverage centers on the two headline selections. Joe Burrow's MVP award is presented as the top offensive honor in the package, while Will Anderson Jr.'s Defensive Player of the Year award recognizes the leading defensive selection. The available coverage does not include the statistical totals, game logs, or evaluative breakdowns that accompanied the announcement, nor does it specify which other players were considered for either award.

Midseason awards in the NFL carry significance because they arrive while the regular season is still in progress, separating the recognition of early-season performance from the final awards determined at the end of the campaign. The coverage does not yet specify the current standings of any team, the remaining slate of games, or the position of either player within the broader awards conversation beyond the honors PFF has granted.

What to watch next is whether subsequent midseason award categories are released, whether other outlets publish their own midseason lists, and how the performances of Burrow and Anderson Jr. develop over the remaining games. The coverage does not yet specify the voting criteria PFF used, the margin between the named winners and other candidates, or whether either player is expected to challenge for a postseason award.