Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
John Shelton

A pair of former Georgia Bulldogs named finalists for NFL awards

Former Georgia Bulldogs Matthew Stafford and Jalen Carter are finalists for a couple of marquee NFL awards after impressive 2023 seasons.

Stafford is up for Comeback Player of the Year after leading the Los Angeles Rams to a wild-card round appearance, ultimately losing 27-24 to the Detroit Lions.

The former Georgia quarterback had a injury-plagued season in 2022 that limited him to only nine games. There were talks of retirement for the veteran, but his 15th NFL season proved he still has plenty of gas left in the tank.

Stafford finished 11th in the league in passing yards (3,965), tied for 11th in touchdowns (24), ranked 10th in interceptions (11) and posted a 63.7 QBR, good enough for sixth in the NFL.

Carter is a finalist for Defensive Rookie of the Year after an outstanding first year with the Philadelphia Eagles, who ultimately lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 32-9 in the wild-card round.

Carter continued his high level of play that we witnessed for three years in Athens. Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded rookie racked up 33 tackles, six sacks, 43 quarterback pressures, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a blocked kick.

Winners will be announced at the NFL Honors on Feb. 8 at 9 p.m. ET. The show will air on CBS and the NFL Network and will be available to stream on Paramount+ and NFL+.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.