Nick Bosa named NFL's Defensive Player of Year

Nick Bosa sacked quarterbacks an NFL-high 18 1/2 times this season, earning the 49ers' star the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award at Thursday night's NFL Honors show in Phoenix.

Bosa, 25, is only the third 49ers player to win that honor, joining Deion Sanders (1994) and Dana Stubblefield (1997). Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones and Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons were this season's other finalists.

In other results involving the 49ers, quarterback Brock Purdy finished third in the Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, coach Kyle Shanahan was second to the Giants' Brian Daboll for Coach of the Year and Christian McCaffrey was second to Seattle quarterback Geno Smith for Comeback Player of the Year.

Purdy had six first-place votes and 78 points. Winner Garrett Wilson (18/156) won with fewer first-place votes than Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (19/129). Daboll had 16 first-place votes and 123 points to beat Shanahan, who had 12 first-place votes and 100 points. McCaffrey had 12 first-place votes and 110 points, with Smith winning comfortably with 28 first-place votes and 171 points

DeMeco Ryans, the 49ers defensive coordinator and now head coach of the Houston Texans, was named as the NFL's Assistant Coach of the Year.

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes won his second Most Valuable Player award picking up 48 of 50 first-place votes. Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year for excellence on and off the field. The 49ers' nominee was defensive tackle Arik Armstead.

Bosa won in landslide, getting 46 of 50 first-place votes and being named on 49 of 50 ballots. Parsons finished second, followed by Jones and Philadelphia edge rusher Haason

Reddick. The only players to get first place votes other than Bosa were Jones (1), Reddick (2) and Jets defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.

JOSE CARLOS FAJARDO — BAY AREA NEWS GROUP San Francisco 49ers' Nick Bosa (97) and San Francisco 49ers' Trent Williams (71) celebrate after defeating the New Orleans Saints during their game at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on Nov. 27, 2022.

ROSS D. FRANKLIN — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS AP Defensive Player of the Year San Francisco 49ers' Nick John Bosa poses for a photo during the NFL Honors award show ahead of the Super Bowl 57 football game on Thursday in Phoenix.