Instead, the award went to Indianapolis Colts linebacker Darius Leonard. The official announcement will come during the NFL Honors show on Saturday night.
Though Chargers fans aren’t going to like it, it’s hard to argue that Leonard didn’t deserve it. His 163 combined tackles led the entire league. He also had seven sacks, two interceptions and four forced fumbles while helping lead the Colts to the playoffs.
Somehow, he was left off the Pro Bowl roster.
James was outstanding in his own right. He finished the year with 105 tackles, 3.5 sacks and three interceptions while also deflecting 13 other passes.