Kenneth Walker Leaps Past Garrett Wilson For Offensive Rookie of the Year Following Week 17's Head-to-Head Battle

Just a week ago, Garrett Wilson seemed to be in control of the Offensive Rookie of the Year (OROY) race. He was a sizable favorite among NY sportsbooks. With other candidates in a slump or too far back in the race, it seemed to be Wilson’s award to lose. Then the Seahawks stomped on the Jets and everything changed. Kenneth Walker had himself a solid game, while Wilson did not.

There’s one week left in the season. We’ll take a look at the odds and see if Wilson has any chance to win this award.

Seahawks rookie running back Kenneth Walker came into his Week 17 matchup against the Jets with the second-best odds to win the OROY award. The first play of his game on Sunday may have changed that. Walker burst through the hole for a 60-yard run to get his team into the red zone. He finished the game with 23 carries for 133 yards en route to his team’s 23-6 victory to keep Seattle in the playoff hunt.

Walker showed his quick speed ability when it mattered most. His Week 17 performance now puts him in minus money to win the award. 

The Seahawks Week 18 matchup will be at home against the Rams. Walker now stands 64 yards shy of hitting 1K for the year. A good performance in his team’s final game could be all he needs to lock up the OROY award.  

Garrett Wilson was targeted 11 times in Week 17 in Seattle but only made 3 catches for 18 yards. The yardage pushed him over 1K for the year which is a significant number for the young wideout. However, the lackluster performance set him back in the OROY race. 

Garett Wilson had struggled to build chemistry with second-year quarterback Zach Wilson. With quarterback Mike White back from injury in Week 17, it was expected that Garett Wilson would put together a good performance. That was not the case, as the young wideout was unable to break through. A big fourth-down drop in the second quarter added to the rookie’s frustration. 

The poor performance dropped Wilson from the top spot in the Offensive Rookie of the Year race. He’ll now need a good outing and some help from elsewhere to win this award. Mike White will get the start again this Sunday. He and Wilson will have to figure out a way to get on the same page this time around.

49ers rookie quarterback Brock Purdy took over the reins in Week 13 and hasn’t looked back. The first-year quarterback hasn’t had much time to prove himself but has still gotten into the conversation for OROY.

Purdy has continued to improve, and his odds have as well. In Week 17’s contest against the Raiders, the Iowa State product completed 22 of 35 passes for 284 yards to go with two touchdowns and one pick. His team came away with an overtime victory to bring their record to 12-4. Once again, Purdy’s odds shrunk. 

If Purdy doesn’t win this award his undoing will be that he didn’t have enough time. A full season with what he’s doing now would easily win him this award. The 49ers play the Arizona Cardinals at home in the last week of the season. Purdy will need a huge performance along with poor performances from Walker and Wilson to have a chance to win the OROY award.

Recency bias goes a long way when it comes to getting votes for these awards.

These three contenders are going to be doing a lot of scoreboard-watching on Sunday. Only if they care, that is. There are playoff implications on the line in Week 18 which should take the forefront in their minds.

Sadly for New York Jets fans their team was eliminated with their Week 17 loss. The Jets still have a bright future led by the likes of Sauce Gardner, Breece Hall, and Garrett Wilson. Regardless of whether or not Wilson wins the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, he will have a lot to be proud of this year. The young wideout had a chaotic quarterback situation and still managed to perform.

A big performance on Sunday from Wilson will go a long way in earning respect from voters who will be submitting their ballots next week.