Chandler Jones deserves defensive award

Another award for Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker Chandler Jones on Tuesday

The NFL Committee of 101 had some good news for Arizona Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones on Tuesday.  He was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Year. This is on top of recently being named to the 2019 all-NFL team by the Pro Football Writers of America.

Jones had 19 sacks this season.  That included 2 games where he recorded 4 sacks.  He just fell shy of leading the NFL this past season.

His sack total since joining the Cardinals in 2016 via trade from the New England Patriots is 66.  That does lead the NFL.  He also is second for 66 tackles for loss and tied for first in forced fumbles.

The Cardinals continue to be shown they made the right choice when having the choose between keeping Jones or Calais Campbell after the 2016 season. It was tough letting Campbell but keeping Jones has definitely been one of the few personnel successes for this franchise over the last 4 seasons.

Despite losing out on the sack title by half-a-sack to Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Shaq Barrett the final week of the regular season, Jones is still well deserving of this award.  There is one more big one to come out.

That would be the AP’s Defensive Player of the Year award.  That is to be announced on Saturday evening February 1st, the night before the Super Bowl in Miami, at the annual NFL Honors event.

He will face some tough competition for that one.  The AFC Defensive Player of the Year, also named on Tuesday, was Patriots defensive back Stephon Gilmore.

It is entirely possible neither one of those guys wins the award on February 1st.  Let’s not rule out Bennett.  He did win the sack title with 19.5 sacks after all.

Now we wait for that announcement.  For now, let’s all congratulate Jones on a heck of a season and hope for a lot more of where that came from in 2020.