Mike McDaniel, the head coach of the Dolphins, stated that he thought the recent NFL awards announcements did not adequately recognize the team’s contributions to the 2024 campaign.
The fiery-tempered McDaniel said, “I’m proud of this team, and I think their hard work and dedication deserve more recognition.” We have players that constantly go above and beyond, and I believe they deserve recognition.
Even though the Dolphins had a number of exceptional players this season, Robinson was the only one selected for the AP Defensive Rookies of the Year award, and he deserved it. McDaniel highlighted the many players who contributed significantly to the team’s success and underlined the team’s collective effort.
“This team is a family,” McDaniel remarked. “Together, we win and lose. Although it’s disheartening to see individual players passed over, we’ll take this as inspiration to put in even more effort the following season.”
Chop Robinson, DROY
Chop Robinson, an edge rusher for the Miami Dolphins, was named a finalist for the AP Defensive Rookies of the Year award on Thursday. Robinson was the only AFC player to make the final cut; other rookies include defensive tackle Braden Fiske, edge rusher Jared Verse of the Los Angeles Rams, and cornerbacks Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Robinson was selected to the Pro Football Writers of America’s All-Rookie team just two days prior to this.
The 2024 first-round pick, who finished second among all rookies in sacks (six) and quarterback hits (14), had been something of a revelation at the outside linebacker position. However, Robinson wasn’t even anticipated to play as much as he did. Robinson’s increased reps were caused by injuries to Bradley Chubb, who had been in rehab for a serious knee injury since December 2023, and Jaelan Phillips, who tore his ACL just three games into the regular season.
Robinson’s time arrived sooner than anticipated, so the Dolphins threw their full support behind his growth. This includes the help of players like Terron Armstead, a Pro Bowl tackle, as well as Calais Campbell, Chubb, and Phillips in the Penn State product’s game.
“You do this and I’m doing that,” Armstead said when asked about his post-practice reps with Robinson. “It could help a little, it could help a lot, maybe not at all. But it doesn’t hurt.”
That sort of mentorship, especially from a two-time Pro Bowler, was borderline invaluable for Robinson.
“He’s a big brother or should I say uncle for how old he is,” Robinson said Dec. 9, calling Armstead “mentor.” “I learned a lot from him. He just came, talked to me after Friday practices or we just sit and chill and just talk about my pass rushing and stuff like that and what he sees and what could help me out. And just getting information from a guy who’s been here for a long time is just a blessing.”
Although he didn’t record his first sack until Week 9 against the Buffalo Bills, his work ethic during that time was a testament to his exceptional ability to absorb instruction, which has won him the affection of both coaches and teammates.
Following Robinson’s 1.5-sack performance against the New England Patriots on November 24, defensive tackle Zach Sieler remarked, “Just seeing Chop, just the games he’s had and the game he had today is incredible.” “I hold him in the highest regard. He is merely an example of putting his head down, working, and simply listening to and learning from older men.
Robinson recorded 26 tackles (16 solo), eight tackles for loss, and four passes defensed in addition to the sacks and quarterback hits. He also tied Marco Coleman’s 1992 record for the fifth-most sacks among Dolphins rookies with six.
NFL awards finalists announced
On Thursday, the Associated Press announced the eight 2024 season award finalists. In addition to the MVP award, other AP honors include Coach of the Year, Assistant Coach of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, and Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year.
The AP’s voting system, which asks voters to rank their top three choices for all other awards and their top five MVP selections, produced the finalists. On Thursday, February 6, in New Orleans, at 9 p.m. ET, FOX and NFL Network will announce the winners at NFL Honors.
Here are all the award finalists and their respective teams
Most Valuable Player
- Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills QB
- Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles RB
- Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals QB
- Jared Goff, Detroit Lions QB
- Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens QB
Offensive Player of the Year
- Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles RB
- Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals QB
- Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals WR
- Derrick Henry, Baltimore Ravens RB
- Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens QB
Defensive Player of the Year
- Zack Baun, Philadelphia Eagles LB
- Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns DE
- Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals DE
- Patrick Surtain II, Denver Broncos CB
- T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers LB
Offensive Rookie of the Year
- Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders TE
- Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders QB
- Malik Nabers, New York Giants WR
- Bo Nix, Denver Broncos QB
- Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars WR
Defensive Rookie of the Year
- Cooper DeJean, Philadelphia Eagles CB
- Braden Fiske, Los Angeles Rams DE
- Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia Eagles CB
- Chop Robinson, Miami Dolphins LB
- Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams LB
Comeback Player of the Year
- Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals QB
- Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings QB
- J.K. Dobbins, Los Angeles Chargers RB
- Christian Gonzalez, New England Patriots CB
- Damar Hamlin, Buffalo Bills S
Coach of the Year
- Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions
- Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota Vikings
- Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
- Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders
- Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
Assistant Coach of the Year
- Joe Brady, Buffalo Bills OC
- Vic Fangio, Philadelphia Eagles DC
- Brian Flores, Minnesota Vikings DC
- Aaron Glenn, Detroit Lions DC
- Ben Johnson, Detroit Lions OC
The NFL Honors presentation will reveal the award winners at 9 p.m. on Thursday, February 6 at the Saenger Theatre in New Orleans.