NEW YORK – Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young and Minnesota Vikings kicker Will Reichard are the NFC Players of the Month for December/ January (Weeks 14-18).
OFFENSE: QB MATTHEW STAFFORD, LOS ANGELES RAMS
- Stafford passed for a league-high 1,634 passing yards and 14 touchdowns for a 104.0 passer rating during the months of December and January. Stafford is the only quarterback in NFL history to have twice recorded at least 1,600 passing yards and 14 touchdown passes over the last five weeks of a season (2011).
- This is Stafford’s second-career Player of the Month honor after also earning the honor last month (November). He becomes the second Rams quarterback to earn two Offensive Player of the Month awards, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner (October, 1999 and September, 2000).
- Stafford is the third former Georgia player to earn at least two Offensive Player of the Month honors, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis (four-time winner) and Todd Gurley (three).
DEFENSE: DE CHASE YOUNG, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
- Young recorded 19 tackles, six tackles for loss, five sacks, two fumble recoveries, including one returned for a touchdown, and a forced fumble in the months of December and January. Young became the third player since 2000 to record at least 15 tackles, five sacks, two fumble recoveries, including one returned for a touchdown, in the last five games of a season. Young was one of four players to record at least five sacks over the last five weeks of the season.
- This is Young’s second Player of the Month honor (December, 2020 with Washington). He is the first Saints player to win Player of the Month honors since Blake Gillikin (October, 2021) and the first Defensive Player of the Month since Cameron Jordan (November, 2020).
- Young is the second former Ohio State player to win multiple Player of the Month honors, joining Nick Bosa (October, 2019 and November, 2022).
SPECIAL TEAMS: K WILL REICHARD, MINNESOTA VIKINGS
- Reichard converted on all 12 of his field goal attempts, including all four from at least 40 yards and all three from at least 50 yards, as well as all 12 of his point after attempts for a total of 48 points from Weeks 14-18. Reichard was the only kicker to convert on all field goal attempts (minimum 12 field goal attempts) over the last five weeks of the season and was the only NFC kicker to convert at least three field goal attempts of 50-or-more yards.
- This marks the first-career Player of the Month honor for Reichard and he becomes the first Vikings kicker to earn the award since Blair Walsh (December, 2012).
- Reichard is the first former Alabama kicker to win a Player of the Month award.
