Arvell Reese Earns NFC Defensive Player of the Week Honors After Historic Game

Reese became the youngest player in NFL history with three sacks in a game, adding a forced fumble in the 19-11 win over Philadelphia.

New York Giants linebacker Arvell Reese | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

To no one’s surprise, New York Giants rookie linebacker Arvell Reese has been named NFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Reese had himself a day last week in the Giants’ 19-11 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The former Ohio State star recorded a team-leading 12 tackles, three sacks, and a forced fumble.

At 21 years and 70 days of age, Reese, who is already in the discussion for Defensive Rookie of the Year honors, became the youngest player in NFL history (surpassing Vernon Maxwell, 21 years and 321 days on Sept. 11, 1983 with the Baltimore Colts) to register at least three sacks in a single game since sacks became an official statistic in 1982.

Reese is also just the second Giants rookie since B.J. Hill on Dec. 2, 2018, vs. Chicago to register three sacks in a single game and is the first NFC rookie to accomplish the feat since James Houston did so on Jan. 1, 2023 with Detroit.

He is also the only rookie to have a game with at least 10 tackles and three sacks since 1994, when tackles first became an official stat. Since then, only four players overall have achieved that stat line.

This season, Reese has 66 total tackles (47 solo), eight tackles for loss, five quarterback hits, 4.5 sacks, four passes defensed, one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.

His 47 solo tackles are tied for the second-most in the NFL and lead all rookies.

This is Reese’s first-career Defensive Player of the Week award. He becomes the third Giants rookie linebacker to earn the honor, joining Devon Kennard (Week 14, 2014) and Kayvon Thibodeaux (Week 15, 2022).

Reese also becomes the fourth former Ohio State player, and second linebacker, to win a Defensive Player of the Week award as a rookie, joining Nick Bosa (two-time winner), Dre’Mont Jones (Week 16, 2019), and Sonny Styles (Week 3, 2026).

Reese becomes the second member of the Giants defense to win POTW honors, joining cornerback Deonte Banks, who won the award in Week 4.

Safety Jevon Holland was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for September. More recently, Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers was named Offensive Player of the Month for October.

The Giants host the Washington Commanders on Thursday night.

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