Quarterbacks DREW BREESof the New Orleans Saints, TOM BRADYof the New England Patriots and AARON RODGERSof the Green Bay Packers are the finalists for the Air NFL Player of the Year honors, the NFL announced today.
Fans can vote for one player in each category on NFL.com until Friday, January 27 at 9 pm ET to determine the Air NFL Player of the Year.
The Air NFL Player of the Year will be announced on Wednesday, February 1 at a press conference during the week of Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis.
A closer look at the Air NFL Player of the Year finalists:
- Green Bay's AARON RODGERS completed 68.3 percent of his passes for 4,643 yards and 45 touchdowns. He set the NFL record for passer rating in a season, at 122.5, and is the first quarterback in NFL history to begin a season with 12 straight weeks with a passer rating of 110 or higher. Rodgers led the Packers to a 15-1 record in the regular season, the best mark in the league, and was named the NFC's starting quarterback for the 2012 Pro Bowl. His 9.25 yards per attempt were the highest in the NFL, and his passing touchdowns and completion percentage ranked second in the league. Rodgers was nominated eight times for FedEx Air Player of the Week honors, winning six times. Rodgers was named 2010 FedEx Air Player of the Year.
- New England's TOM BRADYthrew for 5,235 yards and 39 touchdowns in 2011 as he led the Patriots to a 13-3 record and the top seed in the AFC playoffs. His passing yardage total is the second highest in NFL history. Brady is the first quarterback in NFL history to amass three seasons with at least 36 touchdown passes. Brady's 8.57 yards per attempt average was second in the NFL in 2011, his 105.6 passer rating placed him third and his completion percentage and touchdown passes both ranked fourth. His Week 1 and Week 2 performances marked the first time in NFL history that a quarterback passed for 400 yards in a game after throwing for 500 yards in his previous outing. The AFC starting quarterback in the 2012 Pro Bowl, Brady was nominated for FedEx Air Player of the Week four times, winning once.
- New Orleans' DREW BREESset the single-season record for most passing yards with 5,476, eclipsing DAN MARINO's record of 5,084 yards set in 1984. Brees also set the NFL record for completion percentage (71.2) and most completions in a season (468). Brees, who was named to the NFC's 2012 Pro Bowl roster, led the NFL with 46 touchdowns passes and an average of 342 passing yards per game. His 110.6 passer rating ranked second in the NFL. Brees, who led the Saints to a 13-3 record in 2011, was nominated for FedEx Air Player of the Week honors seven times, winning the award three times.* *Brees has been named FedEx Air Player of the Year three times, most recently in 2009.
2011 AIR NFL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Week 1: Tom Brady, New England Patriots
Week 2: Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
Week 3: Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
Week 4: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Week 5: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Week 6: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Week 7: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Week 8: Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 9: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Week 10: Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
Week 11: Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
Week 12: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
Week 13: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Week 14: Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
Week 15: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
Week 16: Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
Week 17: Matt Flynn, Green Bay Packers
