NEW YORK – Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka and Atlanta Falcons safety Xavier Watts are the NFL Rookies of the Month for September (Weeks 1-4).
OFFENSE: WR EMEKA EGBUKA, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
- Egbuka led all rookies with 282 receiving yards and four touchdown receptions during September, while his 18 receptions were tied for second-most. He was the only rookie with a touchdown in three games during the season’s first month.
- Egbuka becomes the first Buccaneer to win Offensive Rookie of the Month since quarterback Jameis Winston (November, 2015) and is the second-ever Tampa Bay wide receiver to earn the honor, joining Karl Williams (December, 1996).
- Egbuka is the fifth former Ohio State Buckeye to win Rookie of the Month, joining running back Eddie George (September, 1996), running back Ezekiel Elliott (October, 2016), wide receiver Chris Olave (September, 2022), and quarterback C.J. Stroud (September and November, 2023).
DEFENSE: S XAVIER WATTS, ATLANTA FALCONS
- Watts recorded 22 tackles, four passes defensed and two interceptions in September, the only rookie with multiple interceptions in the season’s first month.
- Watts is the fifth Falcon to win a Rookie of the Month award, joining quarterback Matt Ryan (October, 2008), wide receiver Julio Jones (December, 2011), linebacker Deion Jones (September, 2016) and wide receiver Calvin Ridley (September, 2018).
- Watts is the first former Notre Dame player to ever win Defensive Rookie of the Month and the third to win any Rookie of the Month award, joining running back Julius Jones (November, 2004) and guard Quenton Nelson (October, 2018).
