Fred Warner Is Voted the Top Off-ball Linebacker in the NFL by AP Writers
1. FRED WARNER, San Francisco 49ers–Despite playing most of last season with a broken bone in his ankle, Warner still performed at a high level and earned his third straight and fourth overall first-team All-Pro honor. Warner had 131 tackles, five tackles for loss, two interceptions, seven passes defensed, and four forced fumbles last season. Warner has 10 sacks, 10 interceptions, 15 forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, 36 tackles for loss, and 53 passes defensed in his first seven seasons. He is one of three active players with at least 10 sacks, interceptions, and forced fumbles along with Minnesota safety Harrison Smith and Tampa Bay linebacker Lavonte David.
2. ROQUAN SMITH, Baltimore Ravens–The midseason trade in 2022 that sent Smith from Chicago to Baltimore helped lift the Ravens' defense by solidifying the middle of the field. In 41 games with Baltimore, Smith has 398 tackles, five sacks, three interceptions, and 15 passes defensed as he has earned first-team All-Pro honors the past three seasons.
3. ZACK BAUN, Philadelphia Eagles–After struggling to get on the field on defense as an edge rusher his first four seasons in New Orleans, Baun was a revelation at linebacker in his first year with the Eagles. He had 151 tackles, 3 1/2 sacks, and one interception in the regular season and also had a pick against Patrick Mahomes in the Eagles' Super Bowl win. Baun earned All-Pro honors, finished fifth in voting for the AP Defensive Player of the Year award, and cashed in with a three-year 51 million deal in the offseason.
4. BOBBY WAGNER, Washington Commanders–Coach Dan Quinn brought his former linebacker from Seattle to Washington in his first season as coach of the Commanders for veteran leadership. Wagner, who turned 35 last month, showed he can still perform at a high level. Wagner had his 13th straight season with at least 100 tackles and earned his fifth second-team All-Pro selection to go along with six first-team picks. Only Reggie White (13) and Jim Otto (12) have been picked as a first or second-team All-Pro more than Wagner.
5. ZAIRE FRANKLIN, Indianapolis Colts–Franklin led the NFL with 173 tackles last season becoming the second player since at least 2000 with three straight seasons with at least 165 tackles. His 518 tackles in three seasons since becoming a full-time starter in 2022 are the most in the NFL in that span.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Chiefs Beat Franchise Tag Deadline, Sign Guard Trey Smith to a 4-Year, $94M Deal, AP Source Says
The Kansas City Chiefs beat the deadline to sign franchise-tagged guard Trey Smith to a multiyear contract, agreeing to terms Tuesday on a 94 million deal, a person with knowledge of the move told The Associated Press. The four-year contract includes 70 million guaranteed, said the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract had not been announced. Smith, 26, now has the highest average salary of any player at his position in the NFL at 23.5 million annually. The Chiefs had until 4 p.m. EDT Tuesday to work out a deal beyond this season after giving Smith the franchise tag in March. Smith and franchised Cincinnati receiver Tee Higgins each got a lucrative contract, though the agreements came roughly four months apart. Smith has been a key part of the offensive line protecting two-time MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes since entering the league in 2021 as a sixth-round draft pick out of Tennessee. Smith has started 67 regular-season and 13 playoff games, helping Kansas City win the Super Bowl twice and getting there last season before losing to Philadelphia.
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Jets Make Sauce Gardner the Nfl's Highest-paid Cornerback With a $120.4m Extension, Ap Source Says
The New York Jets are making Sauce Gardner the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. The Jets and Gardner agreed on a four-year $120.4 million extension through the 2030 season, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the agreement had not been announced. The contract, paying the two-time All-Pro an average of $30.1 million a year, comes a day after the Jets agreed to a lucrative extension with top wide receiver Garrett Wilson. That deal is worth $130 million as the organization locked up two foundational players for the long-term future. Gardner, who turns 25 before Week 1, was the No. 4 pick in the 2022 draft out of Cincinnati. He established himself as one of the league's top cornerbacks during his first two professional seasons, including being selected the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year. After a down year by his standards, he is out to prove naysayers wrong, saying he has always been an underdog. After recently declining to say whether he wanted to be the richest player at the position, Gardner now has that distinction.
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu and Allisha Gray Headline WNBA All-Star 3-Point Contest
Caitlin Clark will be in a 3-point contest for the first time in her pro career as the Indiana Fever guard will compete Friday night in the WNBA All-Star competition. She'll be joined by contest record holder Sabrina Ionescu who last entered the contest in 2023 and hit 25 of her 27 shots in the final round scoring 37 points. It was the most shots made in a 3-point contest in either the WNBA or NBA. The Liberty's star guard wanted to make sure she was completely healthy before officially entering the contest. She said she'll be trying to break her own mark. Clark's management team said earlier this year when she turned down competing in some fashion at NBA All-Star weekend that the young star wanted her first 3-point contest to be in Indianapolis at the WNBA weekend. Allisha Gray who made her own history last season winning the 3-point and Skills Challenge will try and defend her title in both competitions. She beat Jonquel Jones 22-21 to win the 3-point shootout. Gray beat Sophie Cunningham by 2 seconds to win the skills competition. The Atlanta Dream star received 110,000 from Aflac as part of a partnership with the WNBPA. The 3-point contest winner this year will get an extra 5,000 from Aflac. Gray also got 2,575 from the league for each of her two victories. Other participants in the 3-point contest are Washington rookie Sonia Citron and Los Angeles Kelsey Plum. The other players competing in the skills challenge will be New York's Natasha Cloud Seattle's Skylar Diggins and Erica Wheeler and Minnesota's Courtney Williams.
