Kyler Murray, Miles Sanders headline NFL’s 2019 Pepsi Rookie of the Year nominees
By Mary Clarke
The NFL’s five 2019 Pepsi Rookie of the Year nominees showcase a diverse, talented class of first-year players.
The NFL and Pepsi have officially announced the five 2019 Pepsi Rookie of the Year finalists on Friday afternoon. This year’s nominees for the Pepsi Rookie of the Year award are defensive end Nick Bosa (San Francisco 49ers), wide receiver A.J. Brown (Tennessee Titans), running back Josh Jacobs (Oakland Raiders), quarterback Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals) and running back Miles Sanders (Philadelphia Eagles).
The five nominees chosen for the Pepsi Rookie of the Year were selected due to their standout seasons during the course of 2019, helped along by fan votes for Pepsi’s NFL Rookie of the Week awards which factored in determining the finalists.
This season saw many NFL rookies shine over the last few months, but none more-so than the five nominees selected.
Bosa set a rookie franchise record with 16 tackles for a loss with the 49ers this season, adding on nine sacks in 2019 to earn himself a Pro Bowl nod for 2020 as an impressive defensive end in San Francisco.
The Titans reached the playoffs this season thanks to Brown’s heroics at wide receiver. This season, Brown lead all NFL rookies with 1,051 receiving years and was tied for the most receiving touchdowns among rookies with eight in 2019.
Though the Raiders fell short of a postseason bid this year, Jacobs was the NFL’s leading rookie rusher with 1,150 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns. His 1,316 yards from scrimmage also lead all AFC rookies this season, solidifying his dominance in his first year of pro play.
In Arizona, Murray lead all rookie quarterbacks with 3,722 passing yards and 544 rushing yards in 2019. The Cardinals were not in a playoff hunt this season, but Murray’s solid year set rookie franchise records for Arizona in passing yards, passing touchdowns (20) and passer rating (87.4).
Sanders was a key cog in the Eagles’ late playoff push, as his 1,327 scrimmage yards (818 rushing, 509 receiving) led all rookies in 2019. The rookie running back also joined former Penn State teammate Saquon Barkley as the only rookies with at least 800 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards since the start of the millennium.
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On Friday at 3 p.m. ET, NFL fans will be able to vote for one of the five players to determine the winner of the 2019 Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Year award at NFL.com/rookies. This year’s winner will be recognized during the Super Bowl LIV festivities in Miami.