The NFL’s leader in interceptions through eight weeks has been awarded a top monthly honor. Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney — who has six interceptions in eight games — was named the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Month for October 2024.
McKinney intercepted two passes, recovered a fumble and had a third-down sack over four October games — all Packers wins. He intercepted Matthew Stafford on Oct. 6 and Trevor Lawrence on Oct. 27 to bookend the month with takeaways. He also broke up a Stafford pass and recovered a fumble in Green Bay’s win over the Los Angeles Rams — a performance that earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
McKinney was tied for fourth among all players in interceptions in October.
McKinney became the first Packers player to be named NFC Defensive Player of the Month since linebacker De’Vondre Campbell in October of 2021. That season, Campbell was named a first-team All-Pro. McKinney is well on his way to a similar honor, and possibly more. At the season’s midway point, McKinney has to be on the shortlist of NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidates.
McKinney, a free agent addition from the New York Giants, had an interception in all four September games. Per the NFL, McKinney is just the sixth player since 2000 with an interception in six of a team’s first eight games to start a season.
McKinney is the first Packers safety to earn an NFC Defensive Player of the Month award since Atari Bigby in December of 2007.
A pair of NFC Players of the Month will face off Sunday at Lambeau Field. It’ll be McKinney, the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Month for October, against Lions quarterback Jared Goff, the NFC’s Offensive Player of the Month for October. Goff was nearly perfect over four games in October. Both the Packers and Lions went undefeated during the month.
