ARIZONA CARDINALS

Cardinals’ Chandler Jones wins NFC Defensive Player of the Month

Jan 4, 2018, 9:17 AM

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, right, is tripped by Arizona Cardinals outside linebac...

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, right, is tripped by Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker Chandler Jones, second from right, in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

(AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

The NFL named Arizona Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for his five games in December that produced 5.0 sacks, 16 tackles (8.0 for loss) and 12 quarterback hits.

It’s Jones’ first monthly honor as a member of the Cardinals and second in his career after he won the award in the AFC playing with the New England Patriots in 2013.

Jones, who was selected to the 2018 Pro Bowl, finished the 2017 season with a league-high 17.0 sacks, surpassing the Arizona franchise record of 16.5 previously held by Simeon Rice. Jones, 27, also led the NFL with 28 tackles for loss this season.

The outside linebacker wrapped the year with a dual-sack game in the Cardinals’ 26-24 victory against the Seattle Seahawks.

RELATED: Chandler Jones sets franchise sack record

The Cardinals have now been represented by player of the month awards just nine times since it began in 1986: QB Neil Lomax (October 1988), QB Boomer Esiason (November 1996), Kwamie Lassiter (November 2001), K Neil Rackers (October and December 2005), PR Patrick Peterson (November 2011), and ST Justin Bethel (December 2014), Tyrann Mathieu (November 2015) and RB David Johnson (October 2016).

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