List of NFL Rookie of the Year awards
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Various entities present an NFL Rookie of the Year award each season to the top rookies in the National Football League (NFL). The NFL considers the rookie of the year awards by the Associated Press (AP) to be its official honor.[1] Since 2011, the AP awards have been presented at the NFL Honors.
Associated Press (AP)
Winners (1967–present)
Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)
The Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) Rookie of the Year awards have been given annually to an offensive and defensive rookie in the NFL since 1969, except in 1985. In 2013, PFWA began selecting an overall NFL rookie of the year in addition to its offensive and defensive honors.[34] The winners are chosen by Pro Football Weekly writers/editors and PFWA members.
Overall winners (2013–present)
Offensive and Defensive winners (1969–present)
The Sporting News
The Sporting News NFL Rookie of the Year award is chosen annually by NFL players, coaches, and executives.[51] Separate winners were named for the NFL and AFL between 1960 and 1969. After the merger, separate winners continued to be named for both the NFC and AFC through 1979. Since 1980, one winner has been chosen across the entire league.
NFC winners (1970–1979)
|
AFC winners (1970–1979)
|
NFL winners (1980–present)
| Season | Player | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billy Sims | Detroit | RB | |
| George Rogers | New Orleans | RB | |
| Marcus Allen | LA Raiders | RB | |
| Dan Marino | Miami | QB | |
| Louis Lipps | Pittsburgh | WR | |
| Eddie Brown | Cincinnati | WR | |
| Reuben Mayes | New Orleans | RB | |
| Robert Awalt | St. Louis | TE | |
| Keith Jackson | Philadelphia | TE | |
| Barry Sanders[60] | Detroit | RB | |
| Richmond Webb | Miami | OT | |
| Mike Croel | Denver | LB | |
| Santana Dotson | Tampa Bay | DT | |
| Jerome Bettis | LA Rams | RB | |
| Marshall Faulk[61] | Indianapolis | RB | |
| Curtis Martin[62] | New England | RB | |
| Eddie George[63] | Houston | RB | |
| Warrick Dunn[64] | Tampa Bay | RB | |
| Randy Moss | Minnesota | WR | |
| Edgerrin James[65] | Indianapolis | RB | |
| Brian Urlacher | Chicago | LB | |
| Kendrell Bell | Pittsburgh | LB | |
| Clinton Portis[66] | Denver | RB | |
| Anquan Boldin | Arizona | WR | |
| Ben Roethlisberger | Pittsburgh | QB | |
| Shawne Merriman | San Diego | LB | |
| Vince Young | Tennessee | QB | |
| Adrian Peterson | Minnesota | RB | |
| Matt Ryan | Atlanta | QB | |
| Percy Harvin | Minnesota | WR | |
| Ndamukong Suh | Detroit | DT | |
| Cam Newton | Carolina | QB | |
| Robert Griffin III | Washington | QB | |
| Eddie Lacy | Green Bay | RB | |
| Odell Beckham Jr. | NY Giants | WR | |
| Todd Gurley | St. Louis | RB | |
| Ezekiel Elliott | Dallas | RB | |
| Alvin Kamara | New Orleans | RB | |
| Saquon Barkley | NY Giants | RB | |
| Nick Bosa | San Francisco | DE | |
| Justin Jefferson[67] | Minnesota | WR | |
| Ja'Marr Chase[68] | Cincinnati | WR | |
| Sauce Gardner | NY Jets | CB | |
| Puka Nacua | LA Rams | WR | |
| Jayden Daniels[69] | Washington | QB | |
| Emeka Egbuka[70] | Tampa Bay | WR |
Pepsi
Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year, sponsored by Pepsi since 2002, is a fan-voted award given to the best performing rookie player in the National Football League. Winners are chosen among five finalists tallied from total votes given to Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week winners by votes on NFL.com. The award is sometimes named after Diet Pepsi and Pepsi Zero Sugar.
Winners (2002–present)
| Season | Player | Team | Position | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremy Shockey | NY Giants | TE | [71] | |
| Domanick Davis | Houston | RB | ||
| Ben Roethlisberger | Pittsburgh | QB | ||
| Cadillac Williams | Tampa Bay | RB | ||
| Vince Young | Tennessee | QB | ||
| Adrian Peterson | Minnesota | RB | ||
| Joe Flacco | Baltimore | QB | ||
| Percy Harvin | Minnesota | WR | ||
| Ndamukong Suh | Detroit | DT | ||
| Cam Newton | Carolina | QB | ||
| Russell Wilson | Seattle | QB | ||
| Keenan Allen | San Diego | WR | [72] | |
| Teddy Bridgewater | Minnesota | QB | [73] | |
| Jameis Winston | Tampa Bay | QB | [74] | |
| Dak Prescott | Dallas | QB | [75] | |
| Alvin Kamara | New Orleans | RB | ||
| Saquon Barkley | NY Giants | RB | [76] | |
| Nick Bosa | San Francisco | DE | [77] | |
| Justin Herbert | LA Chargers | QB | [78] | |
| Ja'Marr Chase | Cincinnati | WR | [79] | |
| Aidan Hutchinson | Detroit | DE | [80] | |
| C. J. Stroud | Houston | QB | [81] | |
| Jayden Daniels | Washington | QB | [82] | |
| Tyler Shough | New Orleans | QB | ||
Defunct awards
United Press International
United Press International (UPI) awarded an annual NFL Rookie of the Year award from 1955 to 1959 and two annual awards from 1960 to 1996. From 1960 to 1969 the awards went to a rookie from the NFL and American Football League (AFL), and after the AFL–NFL merger in 1970, the awards went to a rookie from the National Football Conference (NFC) and American Football Conference (AFC).
NFL winners (1955–1969)
|
AFL winners (1960–1969)
|
NFC winners (1970–1996)
|
AFC winners (1970–1996)
|
Newspaper Enterprise Association
The NEA NFL Rookie of the Year award was founded in 1964 by the Newspaper Enterprise Association.[94] and was created by Murray Olderman, the senior sports editor for the NEA. From 1971 through 1976 winners for both the American Football Conference and National Football Conference were chosen, except in 1974. The award was discontinued after the 1998 season. Winners were awarded the Bert Bell Memorial Trophy,[94] in honor of former NFL commissioner Bert Bell.
| Season | Player | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charley Taylor | Washington | WR | |
| Gale Sayers[95] | Chicago | RB | |
| Tommy Nobis | Atlanta | LB | |
| Mel Farr | Detroit | RB | |
| Earl McCullouch | Detroit | WR | |
| Calvin Hill | Dallas | RB | |
| Raymond Chester | Oakland | TE | |
| Jim Plunkett (AFC) | New England | QB | |
| John Brockington (NFC) | Green Bay | RB | |
| Franco Harris (AFC) | Pittsburgh | RB | |
| Willie Buchanon (NFC) | Green Bay | CB | |
| Boobie Clark (AFC) | Cincinnati | RB | |
| Charle Young (NFC) | Philadelphia | TE | |
| Don Woods[94] | San Diego | RB | |
| Robert Brazile (AFC) | Houston | LB | |
| Steve Bartkowski (NFC) | Atlanta | QB | |
| Mike Haynes (AFC) | New England | CB | |
| Sammy White (NFC) | Minnesota | WR | |
| Tony Dorsett | Dallas | RB | |
| Earl Campbell | Houston | RB | |
| Ottis Anderson | St. Louis | RB | |
| Billy Sims | Detroit | RB | |
| Lawrence Taylor | NY Giants | OLB | |
| Marcus Allen | LA Raiders | RB | |
| Eric Dickerson | LA Rams | RB | |
| Louis Lipps | Pittsburgh | WR | |
| Eddie Brown | Cincinnati | WR | |
| Rueben Mayes | New Orleans | RB | |
| Bo Jackson | LA Raiders | RB | |
| John Stephens | New England | RB | |
| Barry Sanders | Detroit | RB | |
| Eric Green[96] | Pittsburgh | TE | |
| Mike Croel[96] | Denver | OLB | |
| Dale Carter[97] | Kansas City | CB | |
| Jerome Bettis | LA Rams | RB | |
| Marshall Faulk | Indianapolis | RB | |
| Joey Galloway | Seattle | WR | |
| Eddie George | Houston | RB | |
| Warrick Dunn[98] | Tampa Bay | RB | |
| Randy Moss[99] | Minnesota | WR |
Source:[100]