NEW YORK – Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, New York Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke and Atlanta Falcons kicker Zane Gonzalez are the NFC Offensive, Defensive and Special Teams Players of the Week for games played in Week 18 (January 3-4).
OFFENSE: QB MATTHEW STAFFORD, LOS ANGELES RAMS
- Stafford passed for 259 yards, four touchdowns and a 114.5 passer rating in the Rams’ 37-20 win against the Cardinals and led the NFC in touchdown passes and passer rating in Week 18. Stafford became the third player in NFL history with multiple touchdown passes in 15 games in a season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Peyton Manning (2013 with Denver) and Dan Marino (1984 with Miami).
- This is Stafford’s fourth-career Player of the Week award and first since Week 3, 2021. He is the fifth Rams quarterback to earn the honor at least three times, joining Jim Everett (six-time winner), Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner (four), Marc Bulger (three) and Jared Goff (three).
- 2019: Week 11 (Lions)
- 2021: Weeks 1, 3 (Rams)
- 2025: Week 18
- Stafford is the third former Georgia player to earn at least four Offensive Player of the Week awards, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis (seven-time winner) and Todd Gurley (five).
DEFENSE: LB BOBBY OKEREKE, NEW YORK GIANTS
- Okereke recorded six tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery in the Giants’ 34-17 win against the Cowboys. He became one of six players, and the only linebacker, to record at least five tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery in a game this season.
- This is Okereke’s first-career Defensive Player of the Week award and he becomes the first Giants player to win the award since Kayvon Thibodeaux (Week 15, 2022).
- Okereke is the first former Stanford linebacker to earn Defensive Player of the Week honors.
SPECIAL TEAMS: K ZANE GONZALEZ, ATLANTA FALCONS
- Gonzalez converted all four of his field goal attempts – from 40, 51, 38 and 38 yards – and a point-after attempt in Atlanta’s 19-17 win against New Orleans. He was one of three NFC kickers to make at least four field goals and one of three NFC kickers to convert a field goal attempt over 50 yards in Week 18.
- This is Gonzalez’s fourth-career Special Teams Player of the Week award. He is the fourth Falcons kicker to win multiple Special Teams Player of the Week awards in a season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Morten Anderson (three times, 1995), Matt Bryant (two times, 2010) and Younghoe Koo (two times, 2019 and 2023).
- 2021: Weeks 8, 10 (Panthers)
- 2025: Weeks 12, 18 (Falcons)
- Gonzalez is the fifth former Arizona State player to win at least four Player of the Week awards, joining Terrell Suggs (five-time winner), David Fulcher (four), Jake Plummer (four) and Gerald Riggs (four).
