Bears running back Jordan Howard has been selected the NFL rookie of the month for December/January.
Bears Jordan Howard has been selected the NFL rookie of the month for December/January.
In five games, the fifth-round pick from Indiana rushed for 547 yards and four touchdowns on 103 carries, an average of 5.3 yards per attempt. He had three 100-yard games during that span.
Howard set two Bears rookie rushing records in 2016 with 1,313 yards and seven 100-yard games. He finished second in the NFL in rushing behind fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliott, who ran for 1,631 yards and on 322 carries for the Dallas Cowboys.
Howard opened the season third on the depth chart and didn't make his first start until Week 4 when both Jeremy Langford and Ka'Deem Carey were injured.
Howard is the fourth player in Bears history to rush for at least 1,300 yards in a season. Walter Payton achieved the feat nine times during his illustrious career from 1975-87, while Thomas Jones (1,335 in 2005) and Matt Forte (1,339 in 2013) each did it once.
Howard is the second Bears player to win an NFL Rookie of the Month award, joining running back Anthony Thomas in October 2001.