KANSAS CITY, MO - OCTOBER 21: Dee Ford #55 of the Kansas City Chiefs begins to knock the ball loose and sack Andy Dalton #14 of the Cincinnati Bengals during the first quarter of the game at Arrowhead Stadium on October 21, 2018 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)

Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Dee Ford has been named the Defensive Player of the Month for the AFC for October.

The eighth week of the NFL season brought a career first for Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Dee Ford. A few days later, he can add his first career Player of the Month award to his resume as well.

Ford was given the honor as the AFC’s Defensive Player of the Month award for October on Thursday, giving him further accolades in a season that is his last, contractually speaking, for the Chiefs as things currently stand. Ford’s emergence as a consistent pass rushing threat has come a bit later than anyone expected for the Chiefs, but it’s been a very welcome surprise nonetheless as the team’s defense has often struggled apart from Ford to generate any real stops.

Ford has 8 sacks on the seasons, tied for second in the AFC, but he leads the entire NFL in quarterback pressures with 45—eight over his nearest competitor. Ford’s ability to get after the passer is especially impressive over the last three games given that teammate Justin Houston has missed those contests due to a hamstring injury that continues to plague him. Houston tried to practice on Wednesday for the first time but was unable to do so, even in a limited capacity.

Ford should enjoy the next two weeks in particular if he’s able to stay healthy himself since the Chiefs play the Cleveland Browns and Arizona Cardinals. Both teams have significant offensive line issues that Ford will hopefully exploit for even better stats. It’s very possible that Ford is the NFL’s sack leader in a week or two, depending on how others fare in their own games. Either way, it’s been a very fruitful season for Ford and for the Chiefs and it will be interesting to follow his potential free agency after the season.