The results, for the most part, were entirely predictable. NFL Honors came and went on Thursday night, handing out the biggest pieces of individual hardware in the sport for the league’s most coveted player awards. But couched within the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year results was a bit of a surprise on the night—some love for Joe Thuney.
No one should be surprised that Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley walked away with the award after earning 35 of 50 first-place votes on the night. Twelve of the other top votes went to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, which, again, was no shock. Both players had exemplary seasons, put up tremendous stats, and were in the running for Most Valuable Player all season.
Other first-place votes went to some other names that would likely come to mind for any NFL fan. Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow got one. So did Ravens running back Derrick Henry. And, of course, Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen was among the finalists as well.
After the NFL Honors ceremony, the full list of votes cast was made available and it was interesting to see exactly how some given an official ballot handled their responsibilities. Each voter could list five names in order—first through fifth—which meant some non-obvious players could earn at least some credit from some voter who appreciated their efforts this season.
Littered among the other vote-getters on the night were other predictable names—including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, and Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of all: two people voted for Chiefs offensive lineman Joe Thuney.
Thuney has been a cornerstone for the Chiefs this season, of course, as an All-Pro guard who can lock down interior rushers with the best of them. This season, he’s added “left tackle” to his resume by sliding over to man the position after the Chiefs decided it was best to keep D.J. Humphries, Wanya Morris, and Kingsley Suamataia on the sideline.
For a team on the verge of making NFL history, it’s the sort of under-appreciated sacrifice and shift that gives Thuney more of the spotlight he deserves. It’s also the sort of story that looks like it could go untold on a greater level, but clearly, some even outside of Chiefs Kingdom are noticing just how important Thuney has been for a team searching for answers on the left side.
Both Tom Brady and Tedy Bruschi voted for Thuney, so clearly there’s some love for their former New England Patriots family there. Maybe that makes these votes questionable in some way—like a mother voting for her son—but Thuney’s name being on this list (and with more than one vote) gives him some real juice on a bigger level.
Thuney deserves to be appreciated on a national level beyond just being an elite guard. His shift outside to man the position against elite pass rushers has been an incredible chapter in a compelling story and we hope that story is read to a few more people because he’s earning more widespread acclaim.
