Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels, who broke the NFL rookie quarterback single season rushing record in leading the Commanders to the playoffs for the first time since 2020, is the 2024 Rookie of the Year and the Offensive Rookie of the Year, chosen in voting conducted by the Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA).
Los Angeles Rams linebacker Jared Verse, who led NFL rookies in quarterback hits, pressures and hurries, is the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Daniels, the second overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft out of LSU, started all 17 games for the Commanders and completed 331 of 480 passes (69 percent; sixth in the NFL) for 3,568 yards, 25 touchdowns, nine interceptions and a passer rating of 100.1 (seventh in the NFL). He also had 148 rush attempts for 891 yards (second-most among NFL quarterbacks) and six touchdowns. He is the first player in NFL history to record over 1,000 passing yards and over 250 rushing yards in his first five career games. Daniels also is the first rookie and fifth player in NFL history to record a completion percentage of 80 percent or higher in four games in a season, and the sixth rookie QB to throw five touchdowns in a game. His 31 touchdowns (25 passing, six rushing) and his 891 rushing yards are both second among all NFL rookies this season. Daniels’ 3,568 passing yards is second among NFL rookies, and he also rushed for 55 first downs. He was the NFL Offensive Player of the Week in Week 3 and the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Month for September.
Daniels is the second player in Washington history to be selected as the PFWA’s Rookie of the Year, as running back Mike Thomas captured the 1975 award. Daniels is also the second Washington player to be the PFWA’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, joining quarterback Robert Griffin III, who won the award in 2012.
Verse, the 19th overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft out of Florida State, played in all 17 games with 16 starts. He posed 66 total tackles (36 solo), 4.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two passes defensed. He led NFL all rookies in quarterback hits (18), pressures (77) and hurries (56). He ranked second among rookies in tackles for loss (11) and fifth in sacks (4.5). Among all NFL defensive players, Verse tied for second in hurries, fourth in pressures and tied for 32nd in tackles for loss. He recorded his first career sack vs. Detroit in Week 1 and became the fourth Rams rookie to record a sack in his debut. In Week 10, he became the first rookie to record a sack in three consecutive games since James Houston in 2022. According to Pro Football Focus, Verse has the best defensive grade (86.2), best pressure grade (83.7) and the fifth-best run defense grade (78.4) among all rookie defenders. From Weeks 9-17, he led all rookies in hurries (34), pressures (42), tied for second in forced fumbles (one), tied for fourth in tackles for loss (four) and tied for third in quarterback hits (six). Verse had a pair of seven-tackle games against Arizona in Week 2 and Philadelphia in Week 12.
Verse is the second player in Rams franchise history to be selected Defensive Rookie of the Year by the PFWA, joining defensive tackle Aaron Donald in 2014.
The Los Angeles Rams lead the All-Rookie selections with three, while the Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles each have three honorees. In all, 20 clubs are represented among the 27 players honored.
The 2024 All-Rookie team offense is made up of the Commanders’ Daniels at quarterback, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Bucky Irving and the Giants’ Tyrone Tracy Jr. at running back, the Giants’ Malik Nabers and the Jaguars’ Brian Thomas Jr. (also a PFWA All-AFC selection) at wide receiver, the Raiders’ Brock Bowers at tight end (also a PFWA All-NFL and All-AFC selection), the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Zach Frazier at center, the Raiders’ Jackson Powers-Johnson and the San Francisco 49ers’ Dominick Puni at guard with the Los Angeles Chargers’ Joe Alt and the Baltimore Ravens’ Roger Rosengarten at tackle.
The All-Rookie defensive unit is comprised of the Denver Broncos’ Jonah Elliss, the Rams’ Braden Fiske, the Indianapolis Colts’ Laiatu Latu and the Tennessee Titans’ T’Vondre Sweat on the defensive line, the Packers’ Edgerrin Cooper, the Miami Dolphins’ Chop Robinson and the Rams’ Verse at linebacker, the Eagles’ duo of Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell at safety with the Houston Texans’ Calen Bullock and the Packers’ Evan Williams at safety.
The All-Rookie special teams group is the Jaguars’ Cam Little at placekicker, the Cincinnati Bengals’ Ryan Rehkow at punter, the Rams’ Jordan Whittington at kick returner, the Buffalo Bills’ Brandon Codrington at punt returner and the Detroit Lions’ Sione Vaki at special teamer.
The PFWA has honored an All-Rookie team every season since 1974. Only players who are in their first season of pro football are designated as rookies by the NFL and are eligible for PFWA rookie awards. Players designated as NFL first-year players who have been active in another pro football league or who have NFL experience, including preseason training camp in a previous season, are not eligible for All-Rookie awards.
2024 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: QB Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
2024 OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: QB Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
2024 DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: LB Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams
2024 PFWA ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Offense
QB – Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders
RB – Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Tyrone Tracy Jr., New York Giants
WR – Malik Nabers, New York Giants; Brian Thomas Jr., Jacksonville Jaguars
TE – Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders
C – Zach Frazier, Pittsburgh Steelers
G – Jackson Powers-Johnson, Las Vegas Raiders; Dominick Puni, San Francisco 49ers
T – Joe Alt, Los Angeles Chargers; Roger Rosengarten, Baltimore Ravens
Defense
DL – Jonah Elliss, Denver Broncos; Braden Fiske, Los Angeles Rams; Laiatu Latu, Indianapolis Colts; T’Vondre Sweat, Tennessee Titans
LB – Edgerrin Cooper, Green Bay Packers; Chop Robinson, Miami Dolphins; Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams
CB – Cooper DeJean, Philadelphia Eagles; Quinyon Mitchell, Philadelphia Eagles
S – Calen Bullock, Houston Texans; Evan Williams, Green Bay Packers
Special Teams
PK – Cam Little, Jacksonville Jaguars
P – Ryan Rehkow, Cincinnati Bengals
KR – Jordan Whittington, Los Angeles Rams
PR – Brandon Codrington, Buffalo Bills
ST – Sione Vaki, Detroit Lions
PFWA NFL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: 1966 – MLB Tommy Nobis, Atlanta Falcons; 1967-74 – no selections; 1975 – RB Mike Thomas, Washington Redskins; 1976 – WR Sammy White, Minnesota Vikings; 1977 – RB Tony Dorsett, Dallas Cowboys; 1978 – RB Earl Campbell, Houston Oilers; 1979 – RB Ottis Anderson, St. Louis Cardinals; 1980 – RB Billy Sims, Detroit Lions; 1981 – RB George Rogers, New Orleans Saints; 1982 – RB Marcus Allen, Los Angeles Raiders; 1983 – RB Eric Dickerson, Los Angeles Rams; 1984 – WR/KR Louis Lipps, Pittsburgh Steelers; 1985 – WR Eddie Brown, Cincinnati Bengals; 1986 – RB Rueben Mayes, New Orleans Saints; 1987 – ILB Shane Conlan, Buffalo Bills; 1988 – RB John Stephens, New England Patriots; 1990 – S Mark Carrier, Chicago Bears; 1991 – OLB Mike Croel, Denver Broncos; 1992-2012 – no selections; 2013 – RB Eddie Lacy, Green Bay Packers; 2014 – WR Odell Beckham, Jr., New York Giants; 2015 – RB Todd Gurley, St. Louis Rams; 2016 – RB Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys; 2017 – RB Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs; 2018 – QB Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns; 2019 – DE Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers; 2020 – QB Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers; 2021 – LB Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys; 2022 – CB Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, New York Jets; 2023 – QB C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans; 2024 – QB Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders.
PFWA NFL OFFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: 1992 — PK Jason Hanson, Detroit Lions; 1993 — RB Jerome Bettis, Los Angeles Rams; 1994 — RB Marshall Faulk, Indianapolis Colts; 1995 — RB Curtis Martin, New England Patriots; 1996 — RB Eddie George, Houston Oilers; 1997 — RB Warrick Dunn, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 1998 — WR Randy Moss, Minnesota Vikings; 1999 — RB Edgerrin James, Indianapolis Colts; 2000 — RB Mike Anderson, Denver Broncos; 2001 — RB Anthony Thomas, Chicago Bears; 2002 — RB Clinton Portis, Denver Broncos; 2003 — WR Anquan Boldin, Arizona Cardinals; 2004 — QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers; 2005 — RB Cadillac Williams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; 2006 — QB Vince Young, Tennessee Titans; 2007 — RB Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings; 2008 — QB Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons; 2009 — WR Percy Harvin, Minnesota Vikings; 2010 — QB Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams; 2011 — QB Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers; 2012 — QB Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins; 2013 — WR Keenan Allen, San Diego Chargers; 2014 — WR Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants; 2015 — RB Todd Gurley, St. Louis Rams; 2016 — RB Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys; 2017 — RB Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs & RB Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints; 2018 — RB Saquon Barkley, New York Giants; 2019 — RB Josh Jacobs, Oakland Raiders; 2020 – QB Justin Herbert, Los Angeles Chargers; 2021 – WR Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals; 2022 – WR Garrett Wilson, New York Jets; 2023 – QB C.J. Stroud, Houston Texans; 2024 – QB Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders.
PFWA NFL DEFENSIVE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: 1992 — CB/PR Dale Carter, Kansas City Chiefs; 1993 — DT Dana Stubblefield, San Francisco 49ers; 1994 — DT Tim Bowens, Miami Dolphins; 1995 — DE Hugh Douglas, New York Jets; 1996 — DE Simeon Rice, Arizona Cardinals; 1997 — LB Peter Boulware, Baltimore Ravens; 1998 — CB Charles Woodson, Oakland Raiders; 1999 — DE Jevon Kearse, Tennessee Titans; 2000 — LB Brian Urlacher, Chicago Bears; 2001 — LB Kendrell Bell, Pittsburgh Steelers; 2002 — DE Julius Peppers, Carolina Panthers; 2003 — LB Terrell Suggs, Baltimore Ravens; 2004 — CB Dunta Robinson, Houston Texans; 2005 — LB Shawne Merriman, San Diego Chargers; 2006 — LB DeMeco Ryans, Houston Texans; 2007 — LB Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49ers; 2008 — LB Jerod Mayo, New England Patriots; 2009 — LB Brian Cushing, Houston Texans; 2010 — DT Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions; 2011 — OLB Aldon Smith, San Francisco 49ers; 2012 — LB Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers; 2013 — LB Kiko Alonso, Buffalo Bills; 2014 — DT Aaron Donald, St. Louis Rams; 2015 — CB Marcus Peters, Kansas City Chiefs; 2016 — DE Joey Bosa, San Diego Chargers; 2017 — CB Marshon Lattimore, New Orleans Saints; 2018 — LB Darius Leonard, Indianapolis Colts; 2019 — DE Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers; 2020 — DE Chase Young, Washington Football Team; 2021 – LB Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys; 2022 – CB Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, New York Jets; 2023 – DE Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans; 2024 – LB Jared Verse, Los Angeles Rams.
