The National Football League today announced that Tampa Bay Buccaneers outside linebacker Yaya Diaby was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for Week 18. It marks the first career Player of the Week honor for Diaby and the first for a Buccaneers edge rusher since Shaquil Barrett earned the award in Week 3 of the 2020 season.
In Tampa Bay’s division-clinching win over the New Orleans Saints, Diaby notched five tackles (four for loss), 1.0 sack and four quarterback hits. He’s 1-of-4 players this season with four-or-more tackles for loss and four-plus quarterback hits in a single game, joining Aidan Hutchinson (Week 2), Trey Hendrickson (Week 9) and Nick Bosa (Week 17).