Bucs' Antoine Winfield Jr. named NFC Defensive Player of the Week after Pro Bowl snub

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Nearly a week after it was announced Bucs’ star safety Antoine Winfield Jr. did not make the 2024 Pro Bowl team, he was voted the NFC Defensive Player of the Week following Tampa Bay’s playoff berth. The National Football League shared the news on Wednesday, marking the second time Winfield received the accolade this season.

He was previously named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week back in Week 13. The 25 year old safety became just the third player in team history to win Player of the Week awards twice in the same season, joining Ryan Fitzpatrick (2018) and Devin White (2020). During his Week 18 performance against the Carolina Panthers, Winfield Jr.

capped off his regular season with five tackles (one for a loss), a sack, a quarterback hit, and a touchdown saving forced fumble within the 1 yard line. His third down sack on quarterback Bryce Young also pushed the Panthers back nine yards, forcing a missing 52 yard field goal and keeping a full 10 points off the scoreboard between his two game altering plays.

According to the Bucs, Winfield Jr. was the only NFC player with a sack, forced fumble, and five or more tackles in a win in Week 18. The safety put forth an unprecedented NFL Defensive Player of the Year caliber season, amassing 122 tackles (six for loss), 12 passes defensed, eight quarterback hits, six sacks, six forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and three interceptions.

He finished the year with a share of the league lead in both forced fumbles and fumble recoveries, joining Haason Reddick (2022) as the only players to accomplish that feat since at least 2000. Despite his achievements this season, Winfield Jr. was snubbed of a Pro Bowl. Instead, Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker was elected to the Pro Bowl team despite recording zero interceptions, zero forced fumbles, zero fumble recoveries and zero sacks this season.

Additionally, Winfield Jr. was also the Tampa Bay Buccaneers nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year..