The NFL announced that Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October. McKinney had 19 tackles, 2 interceptions, a sack, and a fumble recovery in the Packers’ 4-game win streak during the month.
McKinney has a league-leading 6 interceptions on the year and tied a league record in Week 5 for having 6 straight games with an interception going back to the final week of last season. He’s also the first NFL player since the 1970 merger to have an interception in the first 5 games with a new team.
The NFC Players of the Month! (October) pic.twitter.com/qGyNcGmjfd
— NFL (@NFL) October 31, 2024
According to Wes Hodkiwiecz of Packers.com, McKinney is the only Packers defender to play every single snap this season. He’s totaled up 36 tackles, 6 interceptions, a sack, and a forced fumble on the year and is the first Packers player since cornerback Willie Buchanon in 1978 to have 6 interceptions in the team’s first 8 games.
McKinney won NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his Week 5 performance against the Rams where he had a fumble recovery and his 5th interception in so many games. He is the first Packers defender to win the Player of the Month award since De’Vondre Campbell in 2021. And if you can believe it, he’s also the first Packers safety to win the award since (drumroll please) Atari Bigby in December 2007. Definitely who we all would have guessed on Packers trivia night.
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