Pride of Detroit
Another Detroit Lions player has won weekly honors from the NFL, but not one you’d normally think of. After his three-sack performance against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night, Al-Quadin Muhammad has been named NFC Defensive Player of the Year.
It’s the fourth time a Lions player has been named Player of the Week, with Muhammad joining Jahmyr Gibbs (Weeks 10 and 12) and Jared Goff (Week 2). It’s the first time a Lions player has won NFC Defensive Player of the Week since Brian Branch in Week 6 of the 2024 season.
Muhammad, at 30 years old, is in the middle of a career year. He currently leads the Lions—and is tied for 10th overall—with 9.0 sacks on the season. His previous high in a season was 6.0 back in 2021 with the Indianapolis Colts.
“Muhammad with the three sacks, that was big time,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said after the game. “(Aidan) Hutch (Hutchinson) draws a lot of attention. He got some one-on-ones; he won his one-on-ones.”
Muhammad joined the Lions midway through the 2024 season and managed 3.0 sacks down the stretch. His performance earned him a new contract in Detroit, a modest one-year, $1.42 million contract.
With injuries to Marcus Davenport and Pat O’Connor this season, Muhammad has become an important part of Detroit’s pass rush. And while the Lions have often relied on other players like Tyler Lacy, Muhammad has been the most consistent pass rusher opposite Hutchinson for the past couple of seasons.
