The 2026 Rookie of the Year competition has remained close all season, with Tetairoa McMillan the favorite on offense and Carson Schwesinger on defense. Despite strong showings from each ROTY candidate, this year’s class has been slow to begin their careers.

Despite 2025’s class not having an all-time great season, there have been plenty of incredible performances from rookies before. Which were the greatest?

RB Eric Dickerson (1983)

Eric Dickerson‘s rookie season was nothing short of incredible. The Los Angeles Rams running back ran for a rookie record 1,808 yards and has the second-most touchdowns by a rookie non-quarterback with 18. Dickerson also added 51 receptions for 404 yards and two touchdowns as a receiver.

It didn’t take long for Dickerson to make an impact. He had a three-touchdown outing against the New Orleans Saints in his second career start, and from Weeks 4-6, Dickerson averaged 177.7 rushing yards per game.

Dickerson was named AP Rookie of the Year for his incredible season. Despite his record-breaking performance, it wasn’t a landslide. NFL legend and Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino received twenty-three percent of the votes after leading Miami to the playoffs. Seattle Seahawks running back Curt Warner also received some votes after logging 1,449 rushing yards himself.

Along with winning Rookie of the Year, Dickerson was voted First-Team All-Pro and named a Pro Bowler. The All-Pro running back led the NFL in rushing yards and finished the season with the sixth-most rushing yards in NFL history. Dickerson also finished second in MVP voting, behind Washington QB Joe Theismann.

Dickerson’s rookie rushing yards and rushing touchdowns records still stand today. While his touchdown record has been closely contested, with Ezekiel Elliott scoring 15 in 2026, no one has threatened his yards record. Running back George Rogers‘ rookie season is the closest, with 1,674 yards.

Top Stories

NFL Makes Final Decision on ICE Enforcement at Super Bowl LX Amid Bad Bunny’s Grammy Speech

U.S. Senator Announces Bad News For NFL Fans After Donald Trump’s Ruling on ESPN’s Billion-Dollar Takeover

Todd Monken Announces Bad News for Shedeur Sanders Amid Browns QB’s Controversial Pro Bowl Decision

Cowboys’ Major QB Signing Confirmed Amid $31M Dak Prescott News

Calls Mount Against Josh Allen’s Wife, Hailee Steinfeld, Who Announces Career News

The NFL has evolved plenty since Dickerson’s rookie season. Now a pass-happy league, Dickerson’s records are likely to stand for the foreseeable future.

WR Randy Moss (1998)

Former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss started his career off strong. Despite starting in just 11 games, appearing in 16, Moss logged 69 receptions for 1,313 yards and a rookie record 17 receiving touchdowns. The rookie receiver was voted AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in a landslide, beating out Peyton Manning and Fred Taylor.

Identically to Dickerson, Moss was named First-Team All-Pro, a Pro Bowler, and finished third in MVP voting his rookie year. Moss’s incredible season led the Vikings to a 15-1 record and a playoff win.

Moss’s greatness was put on display in a primetime matchup with the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving. The 6-foot-4 wide receiver recorded a ridiculous stat line, logging 3 receptions for 163 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Moss’ 1,313 receiving yards were the second-most in NFL history for a rookie wide receiver, while his 17 receiving touchdowns remain the most by a rookie in a single season. The former Vikings wideout now ranks sixth in receiving yards by a rookie, with four players passing him over the last 28 seasons.

Despite being passed more and more on the receiving yards list, Moss’s rookie season can’t be overlooked. While already considered an all-time great, Moss was unstoppable as a rookie, and defenses needed to answer to him. The then-rookie receiver finished with the third-most receiving yards in 1998 and the most touchdowns, despite not being a Week 1 starter.

QB Cam Newton (2011)

Former Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton‘s rookie season was different than anything the NFL has seen before. The league was accustomed to the pocket passers, with the Tom Bradys of the world. While Aaron Rodgers was seen as a player able to make a play with his legs, it was nothing compared to Newton’s running ability.

Newton started all 16 games for the Panthers, throwing for 4,051 yards and 21 touchdowns while adding 706 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. Despite being known as a game-changer as a runner, Newton was the first rookie to pass for 4,000+ yards. He was voted Offensive Rookie of the Year and named to the Pro Bowl.

As he entered the league, Newton hit the ground running. He threw for 400+ yards in each of his first two starts, scoring five touchdowns along the way. However, turnovers were a problem as he threw four interceptions in that span.

Newton wasn’t as dominant as Dickerson and Moss were as rookies. He had a bad team around him and made do with what he could. But Newton’s rookie season was just a sneak peek into what the league would become with dual-threat quarterbacks.

LB Lawrence Taylor (1981)

New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor is the only player to ever win Defensive Player of the Year as a rookie. Taylor wasn’t just great; he was game-changing. Opposing teams avoided throwing the ball against the Giants, and when they did, they made sure to double and triple-team Taylor.

Despite all the precautions set to slow Taylor down, he still managed 9.5 sacks in a run-heavy era. Tackles for loss weren’t an official stat at the time, but it is implied that Taylor had 20+ as a rookie. He also recorded 133 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and an interception.

Former Giants head coach Bill Parcells even suggested offenses started being built differently to counter Taylor after his rookie season, saying, “Before Lawrence Taylor, you didn’t build an offense around stopping one defender.”

Alongside Defensive Player of the Year, Lawrence was named Defensive Rookie of the Year, First-Team All-Pro, and a Pro Bowler.

WR Ja’Marr Chase (2021)

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase connected with his old college quarterback in his rookie season and absolutely took over. Chase brought in 81 receptions for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns. Chase passed Justin Jefferson for the second-most receiving yards by a rookie, behind Bill Groman, who recorded 1,473 in 1960.

Despite early drop concerns, Chase cemented himself as one of the league’s best receivers and became a nightmare mismatch. Of his 13 touchdowns, he scored an absurd 10 of them from 30+ yards.

Chase ended the season in a bang, catching 11 of 12 targets for 266 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Kansas City Chiefs in a must-win game to help the Bengals advance to the playoffs for the first time since 2015. His 266 receiving yards are the most ever by a rookie in one game.

Chase won Offensive Rookie of the Year comfortably, beating out Mac Jones with 84% of the votes. The 6-foot-1 receiver was also named to his first Pro Bowl and Second-Team All-Pro. Most importantly, Chase was the x-factor that pushed the Bengals through the playoffs. His 304 receiving yards in the playoffs are the most by a rookie, and his 3rd-and-14 conversion in overtime of the AFC Championship game set up the game-winning field goal.

Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua has already surpassed Chase’s rookie receiving yards milestone, but Chase’s explosiveness as a rookie and immediate impact make his first year one of the best in league history.