GREEN BAY – Packers safety Xavier McKinney has been named the NFC Defensive Player of the Month for October.
The 6-foot, 201-pound safety totaled 19 tackles, three passes defensed, two interceptions, a fumble recovery and a sack in the month of October, finishing as the only player with multiple interceptions, a sack and a fumble recovery in Weeks 5-8.
With his interception against the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 6, McKinney became the first NFL player since the 1970 merger to have an INT in his first five games with a new team. McKinney also matched Irv Comp's 81-year-old franchise record for most consecutive games with a pick.
McKinney ended the month with his league-leading sixth interception of the season when the fifth-year veteran picked off quarterback Trevor Lawrence in the second quarter of Sunday's game against Jacksonville. The Packers converted that takeaway into their first touchdown during an eventual 30-27 win.
McKinney said Head Coach Matt LaFleur informed him of the honor during the Packers' team meeting on Thursday morning.
"I think it's well deserved," said LaFleur after practice. "He's obviously made a lot of plays and has been playing at a high level, but I also think it's a credit to his teammates, too, because it's never about one man. Certainly he's done a great job and maximized opportunities and made some big-time plays for us. Hopefully that will continue. I'm confident it will. I think he's a great player and he's been a great pickup for us."
McKinney is the only Packers defender to play all 511 snaps this year, recording 36 tackles, seven passes defensed, six INTs, one sack and one forced fumble. He's tied for the second-most games with an INT (six) in the first eight contests behind only Washington DB Lemar Parrish (seven games in 1979).
Signed as an unrestricted free agent in March, McKinney is the first Packers player since cornerback Willie Buchanon in 1978 to post six interceptions in the team's first eight games of the season.
"It's a great honor and I'm happy about it," McKinney said. "But there's more to do and there's more that I want to accomplish and I'm just going to get back to work."
McKinney won NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors in Week 5 for his performance against the Rams. He's the first Packers player to win NFC Defensive Player of the Month honors since linebacker De'Vondre Campbell in October 2021.
With his league-leading sixth interception of the season in Week 8, McKinney became the fifth player since 2000 with an interception in six of his team's first eight games of a season, joining Corey Chavous (2003 with Minnesota), Trevon Diggs (2021 with Dallas), Doug Evans (2001 with Carolina) and Brian Russell (2003 with Minnesota).
This is McKinney's first-career NFC Player of the Month honor. He is the third Packers defensive back to earn Defensive Player of the Month, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Charles Woodson (three-time winner) and Atari Bigby (December, 2007).
