Ezekiel Elliott of the Cowboys was the highest-profile rookie running back this season, but he wasn’t the only one to make a major impact.
Bears fifth-rounder Jordan Howard wound up with 1,313 rushing yards over the course of the season, which left him second in the league behind Elliott. It’s the first time that rookies have been the two leading rushers in the league.
Howard didn’t play in the season opener and was in a lesser role in the early weeks of the season, but he came on strong down the stretch to get up to the No. 2 spot in the league. Over the final five weeks of the season, Howard ran 103 times for 547 yards and four touchdowns and that made him the pick as the league’s final offensive rookie of the month for the 2016 season.
It also made him as bright a spot as there was in a 3-13 season for the Bears and should make him one of the pieces they’ll build around in Chicago as they try to improve on that record in 2017.
