Three Major Contenders for 2026 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year

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The new NFL season is still a few months away, giving the incoming class of rookies a chance to adjust to life in the pros. Along with ingratiating themselves with their new teammates through the traditional locker room rituals, this will mean learning playbooks, upping their conditioning, and getting used to the speed at which the game is played on Sundays.

Some rookies, though, arrive in the NFL more game-ready than others. These are the ones who typically end up fighting it out for the rookie of the year awards. Both the offensive and defensive awards are highly prized, and bettors love to wager on who they think will win.

Fans in Canada who are looking to back a rookie for the first time can get prepared by checking out this rundown that contains the best sports betting app for beginners. This is the perfect time, too, as the odds are typically longer before the season begins.

For the rookies on the scoring side of the ball, these are some of the front-runners for Offensive Rookie of the Year (OROY) to consider, plus one to avoid.

Jeremiyah Love, RB, Arizona Cardinals

This is a new era for the Arizona Cardinals. With Kyler Murray now gone, the franchise is looking to rebuild its team for the future. At the heart of that will be Jeremiyah Love.

The former Notre Dame star is the outright favorite to win OROY, with most betting apps having him around +320. He hits the league fresh off winning the Doak Walker Award for college football’s top running back, and is tailor-made for Mike LaFleur’s offense.

Along with getting the main workload from the backfield, Love’s incredible ability as a receiver will see him making plays downfield. In the same way that Christian McCaffrey or Alvin Kamara can hurt defenses with their route running, expect Love to get plenty of targets to up his production even further.

Even if the Cardinals overall struggle, Love can stand out and stake his claim to be named the Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Fernando Mendoza, QB, Las Vegas Raiders

The other main favorite for OROY is the draft’s star quarterback, Fernando Mendoza. His heroics in the College Football National Championship game will go down in history, with his epic game-clinching rushing touchdown for Indiana an instant classic moment.

This, combined with being taken first overall, makes him one of the favorites for the OROY award. He’s priced just behind Love at around +400. However, unlike Love, there are major questions about how much of the field he’ll see.

The Raiders have also brought in veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, and he’s widely anticipated to be the Week 1 starter. With the way his contract is structured, he’s expected to be under center in 2026, with Mendoza taking over for 2027.

Along with learning from Cousins, Mendoza can also be nurtured by Raiders co-owner and quarterback GOAT Tom Brady. AQ Shipley, one of Brady’s former Tampa Bay Buccaneers teammates, expects the seven-time Super Bowl winner to be heavily involved in helping Mendoza develop in Las Vegas.

There’s no denying that Mendoza has the tools and mentality to be an elite NFL quarterback. However, with everything looking like he’ll be learning from the sidelines for large parts of the season, he’s not a great OROY candidate.

Jadarian Price, RB, Seattle Seahawks

Although there are players priced above him, one name to look out for in the OROY race is new Seahawks running back Jadarian Price. He was Love’s counterpart in the Notre Dame backfield, and looks set to be a crucial part of a new tandem in Seattle.

Last season, the Seahawks used running back duo Zach Charbonnet and Kenneth Walker III to devastating effect. With Super Bowl MVP Walker moving on to the Kansas City Chiefs, Price is expected to plug straight into the gap he’s left.

Charbonnet is also going to miss the opening weeks of the season as he recovers from the torn ACL he suffered in the Divisional Round against the San Francisco 49ers. This means Price will, for a short while at least, have the Seattle backfield to himself.

The team is a Super Bowl contender again. This is a golden opportunity for Price to win a heavy workload and become a solid outside pick for NFL OROY at around +750.