The Green Bay Packers‘ 2024 season may have ended on a sour note, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that they’ve made the playoffs each of the last two seasons. Green Bay entered a new era of football and have been overall successful so far.
The signings of Xavier McKinney and Josh Jacobs during the 2024 off-season proved to be massive. So much so that McKinney went viral during this year’s defensive player of the year odds.
Packers’ Safety Xavier McKinney Goes Viral As Defensive Player Of The Year Is Announced (Report)
During each of the last three NFL Honors ceremonies, a first-time winner claimed the Defensive Player of the Year award. In 2024, three finalists were hoping to make it four wins in a row.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ Zack Baun, the Cincinnati Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson, and the Denver Broncos’ Pat Surtain were all finalists to win the Defensive Player of the Year award for the 2024 season:
Pat Surtain was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year for 2024. The Broncos star became just the seventh cornerback to take home the NFL’s top defensive honor and is the first to do so since Stephon Gilmore with the New England Patriots in 2019.
Surtain racked up four interceptions while playing as part of a terrific Broncos defense that allowed the third-fewest points per game (18.3) in the NFL during the 2024 season. The 24-year-old helped Denver snap an eight-year playoff drought in Sean Payton’s second season with the franchise while continuing to establish himself as the league’s best cornerback.
Surtain becomes just the second Broncos player to win Defensive Player of the Year. The first was Hall of Fame linebacker Randy Gradishar, who achieved the feat in 1978 after recording four interceptions and two fumble recoveries in 16 games.
Soon after Surtain was named the DPOY, McKinney went absolutely viral:
I don’t get how Patrick Surtain II is Defensive Player of the year? He’s great, but Kerby Joseph and Xavier McKinney were better this year. I would have thought it would go to Miles Garrett or someone who broke a record. pic.twitter.com/5wIVlIFUHA
— tcharlet (@tcharlet) February 7, 2025
Xavier McKinney not receiving a single first place vote for DPOY is crazy. Are we just gonna ignore the fact he racked up 8 picks?! #NFL
— Travis Joseph (@krollknows) February 7, 2025
8th?! Lmao
— TheLogicalFan (@TheLogicalFan) February 7, 2025
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