Patriots RB TreVeyon Henderson among 6 finalists for NFL’s fan-voted Rookie of the Year award

New England Patriots

Henderson is on the ballot for the Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Year.

Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson is one of six finalists for the Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Year award, the NFL announced Tuesday.

A fan vote will decide the winner. Fans can vote through Jan. 30th. Henderson is one of two running backs up for the award, which includes both offensive and defensive players.

Henderson joins the following players on the ballot: Giants quarterback Jaxon Dart, Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty, Panthers receiver Tetairoa McMillan, Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger, and Saints quarterback Tyler Shough.

Henderson has hit his stride recently after a sluggish start. He did not top 30 yards in a game until the Patriots’ win against the Browns on Oct. 26. He had just one touchdown over the first nine weeks of the season.

However, a pair of breakout performances against the Bucanneers and Bills helped kickstart Henderson’s rookie of the year candidacy as the speedy back ultimately put together a strong rookie campaign.

Henderson’s 5.1 yards per carry was the highest average among rookies this season. He totaled 1,132 yards from scrimmage, which was second among rookies. He’s one of three rookies in league history with four or more touchdowns of 50-plus yards.

Henderson also scored nine rushing touchdowns and pitched in 221 receiving yards. He fumbled once all season. He played in all 17 games.

The Patriots are the only playoff team to have a rookie of the year finalist this year.

New England will face the 2023 Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Year award winner, Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud, this weekend in the divisional-round at Gillette Stadium. Washington’s Jayden Daniels won the award last year.

The last time a running back won the award was in 2018, when Saquon Barkley took home the honors.

If he wins, Henderson would be the first Patriots player to win the Pepsi fan vote for rookie of the year. The last Patriots player to win an Associated Press NFL Rookie of the Year award was former coach Jerod Mayo in 2008.

Khari A. Thompson

Sports Reporter

Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.