September’s NFL monthly awards spotlighted a fast-starting group led by Kansas City running back Walker, San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy and Buffalo pass rusher Greg Rousseau. The honors also recognized major early contributions in the return game and from two rookies helping unbeaten teams.
Offensive honors go to Walker and Purdy
- AFC Offensive Player of the Month: Walker, Chiefs. Kansas City’s high-profile free-agent addition has powered the club’s 3-0 opening. Walker began the season with 173 rushing yards and three touchdowns in the opener, then carried that production through September. He enters October as the NFL’s rushing leader with 360 yards and has scored four times from scrimmage, split evenly between rushing and receiving touchdowns.
- NFC Offensive Player of the Month: Brock Purdy, 49ers. Purdy guided San Francisco to three wins while completing 60 of 83 passes for 789 yards, nine touchdowns and one interception. His 72.3 percent completion rate accompanies a 133.1 passer rating, tied for the league lead in touchdown throws. Purdy also has not been sacked, while adding 93 rushing yards, eight first downs and a rushing touchdown on 10 attempts.
Rousseau and Holland headline defensive awards
- AFC Defensive Player of the Month: Greg Rousseau, Bills. Buffalo won all three September games, and Rousseau registered two sacks in each one. He finished the month with six sacks, putting him two short of his single-season career best. Rousseau also posted 15 tackles, an NFL-best eight tackles for loss and three forced fumbles.
- NFC Defensive Player of the Month: Holland, Giants. Holland helped the Giants reach a tie for first place in the NFC East with a turnover-producing start. He intercepted a pass in every game, giving him three picks and a share of the league lead. His four total takeaways, including a fumble recovery, lead the NFL. He also recorded two forced fumbles, 12 tackles and four passes defensed.
Perfect kicking, return production and rookie recognition
- AFC Special Teams Player of the Month: Evan McPherson, Bengals. McPherson did not miss in September, converting all eight extra-point attempts and all eight field-goal tries. Five of those field goals came from at least 50 yards, the highest total in the league.
- NFC Special Teams Player of the Month: Price. After collecting NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors, Price added the monthly award behind league-leading totals of 353 kick-return yards and 130 punt-return yards. His 86-yard punt-return touchdown remains the NFL’s only punt-return score of the season.
- Offensive Rookie of the Month: Benson, Chiefs. The undrafted rookie has started all three games at left tackle for unbeaten Kansas City despite never playing that position at Indiana. Benson is the first offensive lineman to receive the award since Indianapolis guard Quenton Nelson in October 2018. Across 106 pass-blocking snaps, he has surrendered seven quarterback pressures and one sack, a 6.6 percent pressure rate and a 0.9 percent sack rate.
- Defensive Rookie of the Month: Hill. Hill emerged from a strong rookie defensive class that includes Washington’s Sonny Styles and Las Vegas’ Hezekiah Masses. The league’s tackle leader has started three games and added two pass breakups. His 5.6 percent missed-tackle rate ranks seventh-best among qualified off-ball linebackers, while his 12 run stops rank fifth at the position.
