Former Georgia football stars have had massive seasons all over the NFL this season. And while many of these former Bulldogs deserve recognition and attention for the seasons they had, Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey is at the top of that list.
McConkey finished his rookie season with an impressive 82 catches for 1,149 yards and seven touchdowns. He also helped lead the Chargers back to the NFL Playoffs, where they unfortunately fell to the Houston Texans in the opening round.
But still, McConkey's rookie season was better than anyone could have expected. These stats clearly deserve some type of recognition especially when it comes to certain NFL end of season awards. Unfortunately for McConkey, he was not included as one of the finalists for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Ladd McConkey deserved a spot on this list
As mentioned, McConkey should have been included on the list for the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. However, that doesn't mean the five players who were included didn't deserve to be recognized for their great seasons as well. The five players included who are in the running for this award are Brock Bowers (Las Vegas Raiders TE), Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders QB), Malik Nabers (New York Giants WR), Bo Nix (Denver Broncos QB) and Brian Thomas Jr. (Jacksonville Jaguars WR).
However, McConkey doesn't need to be included on this list for everyone to know how great of a player he is. Not many people outside of Georgia knew how special he was heading into this season, but McConkey sure made believers out of everyone this season. And that was especially true after McConkey set an NFL record in the Chargers' playoff game when he set the NFL rookie single game playoff receiving record with 197 yards.
Sure he may not win any awards this offseason, but McConkey likely is okay with that. Everyone now knows he has a bright future in front of him, so it will be exxciting to see what else he will accomplish during his career.