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The annual NFL Honors Awards Show was held in Arizona on the ever of Super Bowl 49 on Saturday night. Unlike last year when Philadelphia running back LeSean McCoy was named FedEx Ground Player of the Year, no Eagles players took home an award this time around.
One Eagles player did finish in second place, however. Jeremy Maclin finished tied for second (with Dallas Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain) in Comeback Player of the Year voting behind award-winning New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. The voting looked like this:
| Comeback Player of the Year voting | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Position | No. of votes |
| Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots | TE | 27 |
| Jeremy Maclin, Philadelphia Eagles | WR | 7 |
| Rolando McClain, Dallas Cowboys | LB | 7 |
| Chris Harris, Denver Broncos | CB | 3 |
| Justin Forsett, Baltimore Ravens | RB | 2 |
| Arian Foster, Houston Texans | RB | 2 |
| Larry Foote, Arizona Cardinals | LB | 1 |
| Kyle Orton, Buffalo Bills | QB | 1 |
Gronkowski won the award because he only played in seven games in 2013 after starting the season late due to injury. Then the big guy suffered a torn ACL and MCL in December. Gronk caught 82 passes in 2014 for 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was the favorite to win the award so this hardly comes at a surprise.
Still, Maclin probably should have earned a little more respect. He missed the entire 2013 season due to tearing his ACL in July. The 26-year-old receiver returned from injury to have a career season with 85 receptions for 1,318 yards and 10 touchdowns. According to Pro Football Focus, he only dropped one pass all season. Maclin made a number of tough sideline grabs throughout the season and was as much of a dangerous weapon down the field as he was a reliable target underneath. Another factor to consider with Maclin's performance is that the quarterback play he had to deal with was much less than ideal. Nick Foles and Mark Sanchez combined to lead the NFL in turnovers. Imagine if Maclin had the chance to work with a Hall of Fame caliber quarterback such as Tom Brady.
Maclin is a free agent this offseason. He'll be in for a big payday and the Eagles will likely hope to keep him. Maclin has said he wants to stay in Philly.
In other news, Eagles special teams coordinator Dave Fipp finished tied for fifth in Assistant Coach of the Year voting. Given how Philadelphia's ST unit was the best in the league in 2014, this hardly comes as a surprise. Former Eagles defensive coordinator and now New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles took home the award thanks to his work with the Arizona Cardinals defense.