On Tuesday, the NFL announced six candidates for the fan-voted Pepsi Rookie of the Year award for the 2023 season.
Not to be confused with the official Offensive Rookie of the Year or Defensive Rookie of the Year award, the Pepsi Rookie of the Year is completely decided by fan vote.
This year, two Detroit Lions players were nominated: tight end Sam LaPorta and running back Jahmyr Gibbs.
The other four candidates are Texans QB C.J. Stroud, Falcons RB Bijan Robinson, Dolphins RB De’Von Achane, and Rams WR Puka Nacua.
Here’s a look at each player’s statline for the 2023 season:
Stroud: 319-of-499, 4,108 yards, 23 TDs, 5 INTs, 100.8 passer rating
Robinson: 214 carries, 976 yards (4.6 YPC), 4 TDs; 58 catches, 487 yards, 4 TDs
Achane: 103 carries, 800 yards (7.8 YPC), 8 TDs; 27 catches, 197 yards, 3 TDs
Gibbs: 182 carries, 945 yards (5.2 YPC), 10 TDs; 52 catches, 316 yards, 1 TD
LaPorta: 86 catches, 889 yards, 10 TDs
Nacua: 105 catches, 1,486 yards, 6 TDs; 12 catches, 89 yards
It seems likely Stroud will run away with the vote, but that doesn’t downplay the fantastic years that both LaPorta and Gibbs had.
For LaPorta, he set the NFL rookie tight end record for catches in a season.
His 889 yards was also the fourth most ever by a rookie tight end, and his 10 touchdowns was just two short of the record.
As for Gibbs, he had massive production despite being the clear RB2 for the better part of the first half of the season.
From Week 8 to the end of the season, Gibbs ranked seventh in rushing yards (698), third in yards per carry (5.3), and tied for third in rushing touchdowns (9).
