C.J. Stroud, Rico Dowdle Headline NFL Week 5 Players of the Week

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud and Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle lead the list of NFL Players of the Week for Week 5, the league announced Wednesday. Denver Broncos linebacker Nik Bonitto and New Orleans Saints cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry earned defensive honors, while Tennessee Titans wide receiver Chimere Dike and San Francisco 49ers kicker Eddy Piñeiro were recognized on special teams.

Stroud completed 23 of 27 passes for 244 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions in Houston’s 44–10 victory over Baltimore. His 85.2 percent completion rate and 143.9 passer rating were both the highest among AFC quarterbacks in Week 5, and he became the first player this season to record four touchdown passes in a game with four or fewer incompletions. This marks Stroud’s third career Offensive Player of the Week award (Weeks 9 and 18, 2023; Week 5, 2025), the third-most ever by a Texans quarterback. He also surpassed Kent Graham for the most Player of the Week honors by a former Ohio State quarterback.

On defense, Bonitto recorded four tackles and 2.5 sacks in Denver’s 21–17 victory over Philadelphia, including a key sack in the final two minutes to help seal the win. His 2.5 sacks were the most by any player in Week 5, and he now leads the NFL with seven sacks through five games. It is Bonitto’s first career Defensive Player of the Week award. He becomes the third Broncos linebacker in the past decade to receive the honor, joining Cody Barton (Week 7, 2024) and Von Miller (Weeks 11, 2018, and 2, 2016). Bonitto also becomes the first former Oklahoma Sooner to win the award since Curtis Lofton in 2011.

Dike earned his first career Special Teams Player of the Week recognition after sparking Tennessee’s 22–21 comeback win over Arizona. He returned four kickoffs for 136 yards, including a 65-yard return in the second quarter, and three punts for 33 yards. His 34.0-yard kickoff return average and 11.0-yard punt return average both led the NFL in Week 5, while his 65-yard return was the league’s longest. Dike is the first Titans non-kicker or punter to win the award since defensive back Dane Cruikshank in 2018 and the first former Florida Gator non-kicker to earn the honor since Brandon Powell in 2021.

In the NFC, Dowdle produced one of the most impressive individual performances of the season, totaling 234 scrimmage yards—206 rushing and 28 receiving—and a touchdown in Carolina’s 27–24 comeback victory over Miami. His 206 rushing yards were the most by any player in a game this season. It is Dowdle’s first career Offensive Player of the Week award, and he becomes the fourth Panthers running back in the past decade to earn the honor, following Chuba Hubbard (Week 16, 2024), D’Onta Foreman (Week 16, 2022), and Jonathan Stewart (Week 14, 2017). He also becomes the third former South Carolina running back to win the award, joining George Rogers (1985) and Duce Staley (2000).

McKinstry delivered a breakout performance in New Orleans’ 26–14 comeback win over the New York Giants, recording three passes defensed and two fourth-quarter interceptions. He was the only NFC player to record multiple interceptions in Week 5 and became the fourth Saints defensive back in the past 10 seasons to earn the award, joining Paulson Adebo (Week 9, 2023), Marshon Lattimore (Week 5, 2021), and P.J. Williams (Week 8, 2018). McKinstry is the tenth different former Alabama defensive back to receive the honor in the past decade, most recently following Brian Branch in 2024.

Piñeiro capped off the week with a perfect outing for San Francisco in its 26–23 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Rams. He converted all four field goal attempts—from 20, 37, 41, and 59 yards—as well as both extra-point tries. His 41-yarder in overtime lifted the 49ers to victory, while his 59-yard kick was the longest in the NFL during Week 5. This marks Piñeiro’s fourth career Special Teams Player of the Week award and his first with San Francisco. He previously earned the honor in 2019 with Chicago and in 2022 and 2023 with Carolina. Piñeiro now holds the record for the most Special Teams Player of the Week awards by a former Florida Gator kicker, surpassing Evan McPherson’s three.