Week 5 produced explosive offense, game-clinching defense and a pair of special-teams plays that swung tight finishes, with Warren, Gibbs, Bailey, Murphy, Rousseau and Waitman earning the NFL’s weekly honors.
Warren took AFC Offensive Player of the Week after powering Pittsburgh past Indianapolis, 34-22. Operating as the Steelers’ lead back, he ran 15 times for 101 yards and broke free for a 50-yard touchdown in the third quarter. He also opened Pittsburgh’s scoring with an 80-yard touchdown catch and finished with six receptions for 87 yards.
The performance put Warren in Steelers history as the first player to record a rushing touchdown of at least 50 yards and a touchdown reception of at least 80 yards in one game. Herschel Walker was the previous NFL player to achieve that combination, doing so in 1986.
Gibbs was selected as NFC Offensive Player of the Week following Detroit’s 45-21 victory over Arizona. He totaled 207 yards from scrimmage on 30 touches, rushing for 151 yards and two scores on 15 attempts while adding five catches for 56 yards.
At age 24, Gibbs reached 58 career touchdowns with his two-score outing. That moved him past Barry Sanders for the most touchdowns by an NFL player before his 25th birthday.
Bailey claimed AFC Defensive Player of the Week after a breakout effort in the Jets’ 17-12 win against Cleveland. The No. 2 selection in the 2026 NFL Draft posted three sacks, seven tackles, three tackles for loss and four quarterback hits. Each total marked a season high, and the rookie increased his season sack count to five.
Murphy received NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for Minnesota’s 23-13 win over New Orleans. He finished with three tackles, one tackle for loss, two pass breakups and two interceptions. His second takeaway sealed the result and enabled the Vikings to run out the clock in victory formation.
Rousseau was named AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after making the pivotal play in Buffalo’s 37-34 overtime win over the Rams on Monday night. Los Angeles lined up for a potential game-winning 48-yard field goal in overtime, but Rousseau blocked the kick. The Bills then answered with a field goal a few plays later to finish the win.
Waitman earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week as San Francisco stayed unbeaten with a 32-29 win over Seattle. He punted five times, and every kick was downed inside the Seahawks’ 20-yard line. Three landed inside the 10 and one finished inside the 5, while he averaged 43.2 yards both gross and net per punt.
The recognition is Waitman’s first NFC weekly special-teams award. He previously won AFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 3 of the 2022 season while with the Denver Broncos.
