BEREA, Ohio (WKBN) – Four Cleveland Browns were named finalists for 2023 Associated Press Awards, which will be announced at the NFL Honors on Thursday, Feb. 8 on WKBN-27.
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski is a finalist for AP Coach of the Year, after leading the Browns to a record of 11-6 and the franchise’s first trip to the playoffs since 2020. The 11 regular season wins also tied for the second-most in Browns’ history, trailing just the 1986 team’s 12 wins.
Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz is a finalist for AP Assistant Coach of the Year. Under his watch, the Browns defense led the NFL in total defense, allowing just 270.2 yards per game.
Defensive end Myles Garrett is a finalist for AP Defensive Player of the Year. He led the Browns with 14 sacks and finished tied for seventh in the NFL.
Quarterback Joe Flacco is a finalist for the AP Comeback Player of the Year. In five regular-season games, Flacco passed for 1,616 yards and 13 touchdowns.
He led the Browns to a 4-1 record as a starter and became the first player in NFL history to record at least 250 passing yards and two touchdown passes in each of his first five games with a team.
A complete list of categories and finalists are listed below.
AP Most Valuable Player
Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills quarterback
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens quarterback
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers running back
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys quarterback
Brock Purdy, San Francisco 49ers quarterback
AP Defensive Player of the Year
DaRon Bland, Dallas Cowboys cornerback
Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders defensive end
Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns defensive end
Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys linebacker
T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker
AP Offensive Player of the Year
Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins wide receiver
Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens quarterback
CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers running back
Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys quarterback
AP Offensive Rookie of the Year
Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions running back
Sam LaPorta, Detroit Lions tight end
Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver
Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons running back
C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans quarterback
AP Defensive Rookie of the Year
Will Anderson, Houston Texans defensive end
Jalen Carter, Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle
Joey Porter Jr., Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback
Kobie Turner, Los Angeles Rams defensive tackler
Devon Witherspoon, Seattle Seahawks cornerback
AP Comeback Player of the Year
Joe Flacco, Cleveland Browns quarterback
Damar Hamlin, Buffalo Bills safety
Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback
Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams quarterback
Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins quarterback
AP Coach of the Year
Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions
John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens
DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans
Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
Kevin Stefanski, Cleveland Browns
AP Assistant Coach of the Year
Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator
Mike Macdonald, Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator
Todd Monken, Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator
Jim Schwartz, Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator
Bobby Slowik, Houston Texans offensive coordinator
