Arizona Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week on Wednesday for Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season.
The Cardinals pass-rusher got the nod after Arizona’s 38-13 win in Tennessee against the Titans.
Jones had five sacks, three more than any other player recorded in the season’s opening week. That number was a new career high for Jones and also tied the franchise record set by former teammate Haason Reddick in 2020.
The honor for Jones is the fourth time he’s won it as a member of the Cardinals and the fifth time in his career. He’s now tied with Adrian Wilson for the most DPOW awards in team history.
The five sacks also put Jones over 100 for his career, all the way up to 102, making him the 57th player in league history to reach triple digits. He passed new teammate J.J. Watt on the all-time charts, who sits at 101.
And despite an impressive five-touchdown day from Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, it was Los Angeles Rams signal caller Matthew Stafford who earned Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Arizona will look to continue its momentum from the strong start against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at State Farm Stadium.
The first home game for the Cardinals of 2021 will take place at 1:05 p.m. and you can hear all the action on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station.