i have to get honored to progress ?

Getting honored gives you the best progress, giving honor gives some progress. At least as far as I can tell. I'm too busy being slightly peeved that in order to keep your icon on during loading screens you have to keep being honored every few games or you lose it until you're honored again. I can sort of see why they did this, but its rather annoying as a general Support main. You'd think that the support that allowed the carries to carry would get at least a "GG, friendly player" from one of them would be in order. But that's just me being salty, so take that as you will.