Arizona Cardinals linebacker Jones deserved award
By Scott Allen
Arizona Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones was up for Defensive Player of the Year on Saturday night at NFL Honors
It is hard to make much of an argument against Los Angeles Rams Aaron Donald winning the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year. The problem is he beat out deserving Arizona Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones.
It had to come down to the Rams being winners and the Cardinals not in 2017. The numbers are very good for Donald but Jones was better statistically.
This takes nothing away from Donald because he had a great year with 11 sacks from the defensive line. Jones did his work from the linebacker position.
Donald though was also on a dominating defensive team. The Cardinals really didn’t get things heated up defensively until the last four or five weeks of the season.
Jones lead the NFL with 17 sacks. He was the first Cardinals player to lead the NFL in that category. If you thought Donald getting the award over Jones was something, Jones didn’t even finish second behind him.
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That honor went to former Cardinals and current Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell. Campbell had the best season of his career as well.
So, while Cardinals fans will feel that Jones got slighted, he really wasn’t. It was a tough category this year. I do think though he should have received more credit than he did.
Had the Cardinals won the NFC West and not the Rams, most likely Jones or Campbell wins the award on Saturday night. Either way Jones sent out a heartfelt congratulations to Donald.
That is Jones. He’s right. Donald had a huge season. It’s just a shame it came in a season when the Cardinals were down as a team. We do wish him congratulations as well. He’s a great player. Maybe next year Chandler?