The awards are starting to stack up for Antoine Winfield Jr.
On Thursday, Winfield nabbed another one, as the fourth-year Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for December/January. It's the first such award for Winfield and the first for a Buccaneer defender since linebacker Devin White won it in September of 2022.
Winfield's latest honor comes one day after he was also announced as the NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Carolina Panthers in Week 18. He also won that award in Week 13, giving him two since the calendar flipped to December.
During the final six weeks of the regular season, Winfield helped the Buccaneers post a 5-1 record and win the NFC South by racking up 41 tackles, 4.0 sacks, four tackles for loss, four passes defensed, three forced fumbles, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. Since the 2000 season, he is just the fifth player, and the only defensive back, to have at least four sacks, three forced fumbles and two interceptions in a six-week span, joining T.J. Watt (2019), Jason Taylor (2006), Mike Vrabel (2003) and Simeon Rice (2003). From Week 13 to the final regular season weekend, Winfield was the only player in the NFL to record three or more sacks and three or more takeaways.
In the combined months of December and January, Winfield ranked first among all NFC defenders in forced fumbles, takeaways and fumble recoveries. He was first among defensive backs and third among all players with four sacks and he tied for fourth with two picks. Winfield led a Buccaneers defense that allowed the fewest points per game (16.3) and the second fewest yards per game (308.5) in that span.
Winfield is the first safety to be named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month since Arizona's Budda Baker in October of 2020. He is the first Buccaneers safety ever to take the honor. Winfield is the second Tampa Bay player to get a Player of the Month award this season, as punter Jake Camarda took the special teams honors in September.
