Category: Awards

2023 season: Minnesota Vikings rookie of the year

Who was the Minnesota Vikings rookie of the year? Our staff made their picks

The 2023 National Football League season is over for the Minnesota Vikings and now it’s time to reflect on what was and what could have been.

The Vikings had quite the roller coaster ride this season. After starting 1-4, they lost wide receiver Justin Jefferson and went on a five-game winning streak and won six out of their next eight games. They ultimately lost their final four to finish the season 7-10.

As we reflect back on the season that was for the Vikings, we as a staff took a look at it in multiple ways by handing out awards in different categories.

Here are our choices for Vikings rookie of the year.

Jalen Reeves-Maybin voted 1st-team All-Pro on special teams by the NFLPA

Lions special teams captain Jalen Reeves-Maybin voted 1st-team All-Pro by the NFLPA

The NFL Players Association, or NFLPA, has released the results of the All-Pro balloting from the membership. One Lions player earned first-team honors in the NFLPA voting.

It’s linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin, who earned one of two spots as a designated core special teams player. Reeves-Maybin was outstanding in the role in his return to Detroit after a year away with the Houston Texans.

Center Frank Ragnow and right tackle Penei Sewell did not win the voting at their respective positions. The NFLPA only recognizes one player at each specific position on the offensive line.

Three former Vikings named to 2024 College Football Hall of Fame class

Randy Moss, Toby Gerhart, and Steve Hutchinson were among the 22 players announced Monday to the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame class.

The National Football Foundation has announced their class for the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame, and the list includes three former Minnesota Vikings among the new enshrinees: Randy Moss, Steve Hutchinson and Toby Gerhart.

Those three will join 19 others to fill out the 2024 class of 24, who will officially be inducted on December 10th in a ceremony in Las Vegas. Moss, Hutchinson, and Gerhart are joined in the class by the likes of Justin Blackmon, Warrick Dunn, Larry Fitzgerald, and many more.

Moss, who started his college career at Florida State before transferring to Marshall, put up over 3500 yards and 54 touchdowns receiving, with another touchdown rushing in his two seasons before being taken in the first round by Minnesota in the 1998 NFL draft.

Toby Gerhart amassed over 3500 yards on the ground and scored 44 touchdowns in his four seasons with the Stanford Cardinal before being taken in the second round of the 2010 NFL draft, and Steve Hutchinson won a National Championship with the Michigan Wolverines before a 6-year stint with the Vikings from 2006-2011.

Kirk Cousins wins 2023 Korey Stringer Media Good Guy Award

Kirk Cousins wins the 2023 Korey Stringer Media Good Guy Award

According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Cousins is the 2023 recipient of the Korey Stringer Good Guy Award, presented by the Minnesota Chapter of Pro Football Writers of America.

The award was named after Korey Stringer, a former right tackle who tragically passed after a Minnesota training camp practice in 2001.

Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling congratulates Cousins on his award stating that his “professionalism and candor, whether in explaining his thought process on a play or his outlook after Achilles surgery, helps us do our jobs better.”

Vikings.com’s Lindsey Young reported that the Stringer family presented the award to Cousins stating the award is for those that “epitomized the legacy that [Stringer] intended to leave. From being a professional, and a reliable and accountable teammate by giving 110 percent on every drive, to acknowledging and respecting every single person within the organization, which makes the Vikings such a great family.”

When Cousins was sidelined with his season-ending injury, he was no longer required to engage with the media. Even still, he continued to engage with the media, keeping them informed of his progress on his road to recovery.

Cousins is the first quarterback to win the award since Daunte Culpepper won it back-to-back in 2003 and 2004.

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Jared Allen named finalist for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen was named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2024

The man with the mullet is one step closer. Former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen is a finalist for the 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

The Vikings’ star defender for six seasons is beyond deserving of being enshrined in Canton. The Idaho State star was a fourth-round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2004. The Vikings traded a first-round pick and two third-round picks to acquire the emerging star player.

In his career, Allen played in 187 games and accumulated 136 sacks, including a 2011 season where he had 22.0 sacks, just 0.5 from tying Michael Strahan’s record. He was a finalist in 2023 but just missed getting the call.

The 2024 Hall of Fame class will be announced during the NFL honors Super Bowl weekend.

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Lions safety Ifeatu Melifonwu wins NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 16

Lions safety Ifeatu Melifonwu wins NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 16

Congratulations are in order for Lions safety Ifratu Melifonwu The young DB is the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his outstanding performance in Detroit’s 30-24 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

Melifonwu registered five total tackles, two sacks and a game-sealing interception in Detroit’s Week 16 victory in Minnesota. It was an amazing game in just his third start for Melifonwu. He’s come alive as an agent of aggression in Aaron Glenn’s defense and has helped lead the Lions to victories in the last two games.

It’s ht first time Melifonwu has won the award, and he’s the first Lions player to win the award in 2023.

Sam LaPorta wins the NFL’s Rookie of the Week honor once again

It’s the second time in three weeks LaPorta has won the award

Lions tight end Sam LaPorta is in the midst of an outstanding rookie season. LaPorta picked up some league-wide recognition for his awesome performance against the Denver Broncos in Detroit’s Week 15 win.

LaPorta earned the Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week for the Week 15 game. The rookie from Iowa hauled in five catches for 56 yards and three touchdowns in the 42-17 Lions victory.

It’s the second time LaPorta has won the Rookie of the Week honor in three weeks. He also picked it up in Week 13 with a 9-catch, 140-yard outburst in the win over the Saints.

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Jared Goff nominated for FedEx Air Player of the Week

Goff is up against Joe Flacco and Baker Mayfield to win the award this week

Jared Goff had an outstanding game delivering through the air in Detroit’s Week 15 win over the Denver Broncos. For his great game on Saturday night, Goff has been nominated for the FedEx Air Player of the Week.

Goff shook off a slow start to finish with 278 yards and five touchdowns in the air, completing 24 of his 34 pass attempts. He was just 2-for-5 before catching fire and lighting up the Denver defense. Goff is just the second quarterback this season to throw for five TDs in a game.

Also nominated this week are Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield and Cleveland’s Joe Flacco.

The award is decided by fan voting. You can vote for Goff here.

Danielle Hunter passes Jared Allen on all-time sacks list

Hunter now ranks fifth all-time in Vikings sacks

The Minnesota Vikings have had some prolific sack artists in the history of the franchise. From Carl Eller to Chris Doleman and Everson Griffen, the Vikings have had historically great rushers.

On Saturday afternoon, Danielle Hunter registered his 86.5th career sack, passing Jared Allen for fifth on the all-time list for the Vikings.

Hunter registered two sacks in the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals with one against tight end Tanner Hudson on a tight end screen.

Hunter also sits tied for fifth all-time in single season sacks with 15 so far this season tied with John Randle who also had 15.5 sacks in 1997.

Hunter is primed to have even more throughout the rest of the season on one of the best defenses in the National Football League.

Ivan Pace Jr. named NFC Defensive Player of the Week

Pace became the fifth Vikings rookie to win the award in team history

The Minnesota Vikings’ defense had a great week and the best player on the field on Sunday afternoon against the Las Vegas Raiders got rewarded for it. Inside linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for week 14.

Pace was phenomenal for the Vikings this past Sunday. He had 13 tackles, a sack and an interception. He was the first rookie since 2006 to achieve that with the last being DeMeco Ryans, who was with the Houston Texans at the time and now is their head coach.

Pace set the tone early on Sunday getting 11 of his tackles in the first half and ended the first half with a sack of Aidan O’Connell on a well-designed delayed blits. His interception also secured the win for the Vikings as they were able to run out the majority of the clock out.

Pace became the fifth Vikings rookie defender to win the player of the week award on defense in the teams history.

  • 2014: LB Anthony Barr, week 8
  • 2008: CB Cedrick Griffin, week 145
  • 1995: FS Orlando Thomas, week 4
  • 1986: DE Gerald Robinson, week 7

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