2023 Vikings Team Awards
Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
Who gets the hardware for this season? Reflecting on the thrilling highs and challenging lows of the 2023 NFL season, the Minnesota Vikings had a number of key players succeed on a personal level, however, the team fell short of their intended long-term goal of hoisting the Lombardy trophy. As the dust settles on another chapter in Vikings history, it’s time to recognize the standout performances and unforgettable moments.
MVP: Danielle Hunter - Danielle Hunter had one of, if not his best season in the league in 2023. Amassing a career high in sacks at 16.5 which was 2 more than his previous season high total. Hunter was also selected to represent the Minnesota Vikings in the 2023 Pro Bowl. Hunter is currently a pending free-agent, and Minnesota will have to shell out a pretty penny to get his services again next year.
OPOY: TJ Hockenson - TJ Hockenson gets my offensive player of the year in 2023 for a few reasons. This guy is tough as nails. Catching balls across the middle of the field or in the endzone knowing he is going to take a big hit. Hockenson’s 2023 stats are another reason why he gets my vote for OPOY - 96 catches, 960 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 10.1 yards per catch. It was sad to see his season cut short at the hands of a known dirty player in the league, but the team believes he will be back in 2024 stronger than ever.
DPOY: Jordan Hicks - Now obviously I could have gone Hunter here as well. But for the sake of recognizing multiple positions and players, especially the ones who had a massive impact on the functionality of the team, I elect to vote Hicks for DPOY for the Vikings. In 2023, Jordan Hicks was quarterbacking the leagues fiercest defense until he got injured as well. His injury was not supposed to be as long as it ended up being, but after battling infection and almost losing his leg, Jordan Hicks came back to the team late in the year and played as if nothing even happened. In 2023, Hicks had 107 total tackles, with one interception, and one sack.
OROY: Jordan Addison - Yup. This one was easy. Jordan Addison had the best season as a rookie WR behind the Rams Puka Nacua. Addison was selected late in the first round, behind 3 other wide receivers, and still amassed more statistical pillars than 99% of his peers. Addison in his rookie year recorded 70 catches, 911 yards, 10 touchdowns, and averaged 13 yards a catch. Addison also provided a sense of security for the quarterbacks when Justin Jefferson went down with a hamstring injury in the middle of the season. It looks as if the Vikings found another gem of a pass catcher in the first round who will be in the league for a long time.
DROY: Ivan Pace Jr. - Undrafted rookie free-agent Ivan Pace earns my defensive rookie of the year for the 2023 Minnesota Vikings! Ivan Pace is a certified stud. Another Viking that will be in the league for a long time. Pace is already one of the best young linebackers in the league after one year. His play style is awesome. He reminds me of a Pitbull off its leash at a neighborhood cookout - he gets what he wants. In 2023, Pace has 102 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, and 1 interception.
Most Improved: Cam Bynum - Bynum stepped up big time for the 2023 Vikings. In 2022, he was getting exposed by offenses. Cam seemed to struggle in coverage, and filling run gaps. But 2023 Cam Bynum turned into one of the leagues most well-rounded safeties. In his bounce-back year, Bynum had 121 total tackles, 2 interceptions, 9 passes defended, and added a half sack to his 2023 resume. I will be the first to admit, I was not pleased with him being named the starting safety early in training camp over Lewis Cine, but Brian Flores has molded Cam Bynum into a game wrecker, and he has earned every bit of playing time he will get from this season and moving forward.
X Factor: Josh Metellus - Yet another player who was vastly improved from last year under new Defensive Coordinator, Brian Flores. In 2023, Josh Metellus had 116 total tackles, 2.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 1 interception, and 5 passes defended. Metellus also played just about every position on the defensive side of the ball, which is very uncommon in the NFL, not many players can even play 2 positions, let alone the whole field. Metellus, like Cam Bynum, proved me wrong this year. His development under BFLO has been remarkable and is a big reason why this 2023 Minnesota Vikings defense was so formidable.
Biggest Question: Lewis Cine - At this point, we should be concerned. Cine was the 4th or 5th safety on the Vikings 2023 depth chart this whole year. The former first round pick from Georgia suffered that gruesome injury in London two years ago but was expected to make a full recovery for the 2023 season. If it is in fact injury complications that are stemmed from that injury last year then I wouldn’t be too upset, but the fact that he had been a healthy scratch for most of the year was cause for concern. With Cam Bynum and Josh Metellus playing the best ball of their career, the Vikings are lucky to not need Cine, but we could have allocated his draft pick toward another resource. Let’s see if he can get healthy or confident heading into next year, otherwise, he will surely get cut eventually and that 2022 first round pick goes down the drain.
The Minnesota Vikings 2023 season was filled with its ups and downs, but the future of the team looks bright, with players on both sides of the ball contributing in different ways to help drive this team to the ultimate goal. This 2024 offseason will be the most important one yet, with big names facing free-agency, big contracts looming, and the Vikings also in need of quarterback services. With some more pieces around what the Vikings already have in place, they look to be contenders for 2024 and beyond, but this recap of 2023 shows how many important players this team currently has to build around headed into the future.
