Giants' Arvell Reese Named NFC Defensive Player of the Week
Published Nov 11, 2026, 2:22 PM ET | By Vincent Rapisardi
Key points
Arvell Reese is the NFC Defensive Player of the Week after three sacks and 12 tackles in the Giants' 19-11 win at Philadelphia.
At 21 years and 70 days, he is the youngest player with three sacks in a game since sacks became official in 1982.
He is the second Giant to win the weekly award this season, joining Deonte Banks in Week 4.
Arvell Reese has his first NFL weekly award. The Giants rookie was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week on Wednesday for his performance in Sunday's 19-11 win over the Eagles, Giants.com reported.
Big Blue Film Room shared the news on X shortly after the announcement. Reese finished with 12 tackles, three sacks, three tackles for loss, three quarterback hits and a forced fumble.
The Giants sacked Philadelphia seven times as a team, per Giants.com's game notes. It was their first win in Philadelphia since Oct. 27, 2013, as we noted in our final-score recap.
Arvell Reese's Place in the Record Book
At 21 years and 70 days old, Reese became the youngest player with three sacks in a game since 1982. He broke Vernon Maxwell's mark of 21 years and 321 days, set on Sept. 11, 1983, Pro Football Talk noted.
He is also the second Giants rookie with three sacks in a game, joining B.J. Hill in 2018. Since 1994, Reese is the only rookie with at least 10 tackles and three sacks in one game, according to Giants.com.
His strip sack was recovered by linebacker Micah McFadden. Reese is also up for Pepsi Rookie of the Week honors again.
John Harbaugh on Reese: "It's What You Hope For"
Head coach John Harbaugh praised the No. 5 overall pick this week. "It's what you hope for," Harbaugh said, via Giants.com, describing how he and general manager Joe Schoen felt about drafting Reese.
"Joe [Schoen] and I were... giddy," Harbaugh said of draft night. He added a simple reason for the quick progress: "He's so coachable."
By the Numbers: Arvell Reese's 2026 Season
Stat | Total |
Tackles | 66 |
Solo tackles | 47 (tied 2nd in NFL) |
Tackles for loss | 8 |
Sacks | 4.5 |
INT / FF / FR | 1 / 1 / 1 |
Source: Giants.com, through Week 9.
Reese's 47 solo tackles also lead all rookies. Banks won the same award in Week 4, making Reese the second Giant honored this season.
His grade from Sunday shows up in our Week 9 PFF grades breakdown. The caveat is that it came against an Eagles team now sitting at 2-7.
What Comes Next for the Giants Defense
The 5-2-1 Giants host the Commanders for White Out Thursday on Nov. 12 at 8:15 p.m. ET. Washington tied New York 27-27 in Week 5.
A short week gives Reese little time to celebrate. It also puts the rookie in a prime-time spotlight on the heels of a historic game.
Our Take: Arvell Reese Is Already Looking Like a Star
I said it after Sunday, and the award only backs it up. Arvell Reese is THAT good. I even called him All-Pro Arvell after that game in Philadelphia.
This is not a new opinion for me. Back on Oct. 1, I wrote that Arvell Reese will be an All-Pro at some point, with an extra "it" factor. You can tell he loves ball.
I also said the only thing holding him back was experience. Eight games in, that gap is closing faster than anyone could have expected.
Three sacks at 21 years old, the youngest in the record book, is the kind of day that changes how a league views a player. I expect more of them.
Thursday night at MetLife Stadium is the next chance to prove it.
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