The Arizona Cardinals’ 2023 season is over and now we can look back at player and team performance. We are at the part of the offseason where awards and honors are beginning to be doled out.
We do the same for the Cardinals and their 2023 season.
Running back James Conner was the team’s MVP this season.
The team’s defensive player of the year isn’t as cut-and-dried.
In a close decision, it is linebacker Kyzir White, edging safety Jalen Thompson.
White set the tone for Arizona’s defense in 2023. Signed as a free agent last offseason and thrust into the “mike” linebacker role for the first time in his career, he was productive.
A torn biceps injury ended his season prematurely, but he still piled up stats.
Despite missing the final six games of the season, he still led the team with 90 tackles and nine tackles for loss.
He added a paid of sacks, an interception and three pass breakups. His physicality was noticed from the very first game.
Thompson had a fine season with 78 tackles, five tackles for loss, a sack, four interceptions, nine pass breakups and a forced fumble.
Thompson did more statistically across the board in 15 games but White gets the edge.
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