Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Philadelphia Eagles contemporary Jalen Hurts are among the athletes that have been awarded the first round of players of the month honors for the 2022 NFL season.
On Thursday, the NFL announced that Jackson, Miami Dolphins linebacker Melvin Ingram, and Kansas City Chiefs punter Tommy Townsend were named the AFC players of the month on offense, defense, and special teams, respectively.
Jackson, who is in the final year of his contract with the Ravens, has gotten off to a fantastic start in 2022. The two-time Pro Bowler has amassed 992 total yards already over just three games this season. Throwing for 749 yards and 10 touchdowns, while adding another 249 yards and two touchdowns on the ground as he’s led Baltimore to a 2-1 start this season. His performance is unsurprising considering the standard he has set through his six-year career, but he is also following the classic trend of professional athletes having big seasons just in time for negotiations on a new long-term contract.
Also read: 2022 NFL defense rankings – Evaluating best NFL defenses entering Week 4
Ingram has had a stellar start this season in helping the Dolphins get off to a red-hot 3-0 in September. The 11-year veteran had six tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries over the trio of games Miami has played thus far. Chiefs punter Townsend is averaging 55.5 yards per punt in 2022 and reached a peak with a 74-yard long this season.
When it comes to the NFC side of the awards, the league also announced on Thursday that Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White, and San Francisco 49ers punter Mitch Wishnowsky were also awarded honors for the first month of the season.
Hurts has taken another notable development step forward in the 2022 NFL season. In his third season in Philly, the 2020 second-round pick has helped lead the team to a 3-0 start with an impressive 1,083 total yards. The 24-year-old has thrown for 916 and four TDs, while also racking up 167 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. Hurts’ performance has helped to make the Eagles one of the best teams in the NFL over the first month of the season.
The Buccaneers defense has been one of the best in the league this season, and White has been key in that as he’s tallied 15 tackles, three sacks (a half-sack less than what he had all of last year), and a forced fumble in September. Wishnowsky has gotten a lot of chances to punt this season due to a struggling 49ers offense. Over 14 punts thus far, he is averaging 46.8 yards per attempt and maxed out with a 74-yard kick this month.
More must-reads: