Dolphins Linebacker Crowned AFC Defensive Player of the Week

Dolphins Linebacker Crowned AFC Defensive Player of the Week

Miami Dolphins defensive star Jordyn Brooks put together a career-defining performance versus the Washington Commanders in Spain on Sunday. He tied a career-high with an otherworldly 20 tackles, and that also marks the most any one player has tallied in one game this season.

Brooks’ recent tackling masterclass earned him some hardware to boot, as he has been named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 11. Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis earned the weekly defensive award for the NFC conference as well, and he broke up several passes in his team’s win over the Detroit Lions.

A former first-round pick back in the 2020 NFL Draft, Brooks has already received that honor twice this season, now, as he was crowned the Defensive Player of the Week for the first time back in Week 8.

Brooks was pivotal to Miami’s defense, holding the Atlanta Falcons to merely 10 points in a blowout victory back on Oct. 26. He ended up with 10 combined tackles, including seven solo tackles and three tackles for loss. The 28-year-old came up with a sack — just his second of the season — to boot.

The Dolphins’ leader in both total tackles and tackles for loss this season has easily been one of the more disruptive defenders in football, and he’s made the team’s decision to pick him up as a free agent ahead of the 2024 season age like fine wine. He’s earning a base salary of under $4 million this season and, frankly, is highly underpaid.

Maybe Miami is only a few more strong defensive showings from Brooks away from getting back in the playoff picture, as when he’s active and tackling opponents left and right, the team is that much tougher to beat. The Dolphins have just a 4-7 record on the season, but there’s theoretically still time for them to salvage this campaign.