Football is a young man’s game, they say. And this year’s NFL playoffs are backing that up. Not only did this postseason include the league’s youngest team in the Green Bay Packers and a star rookie quarterback in the Houston Texans’ C.J. Stroud, but some of the biggest X-factors going into Sunday’s AFC and NFC championships are first-year players.
Here’s our ranking of the most important rookies still in the hunt for a Lombardi Trophy:
The third-round pick was solid this year, finishing 21 of 25 on field-goal tries (84%), but he notably missed two kicks in Week 18, then had a 48-yarder blocked by the Packers. If the 49ers find themselves in a tight one, his role could be vital. Just ask Bills fans, who watched Tyler Bass send a 44-yard potential game-tying kick wide right against the Chiefs.
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