Pro Bowl rosters for AFC, NFC: Tom Brady gets record 15th selection
The Pro Bowl is scheduled for Feb. 6 in Las Vegas. Here is a look at the players who made it…
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The rosters for the 2022 NFL Pro Bowl have been leaking out since Monday with the full reveal coming Wednesday evening. The Indianapolis Colts had the most selections with seven. The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers were next with six each.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady was selected to his record 15th Pro Bowl. He had been tied for first in Pro Bowl selections with tight end Tony Gonzalez, quarterback Peyton Manning, offensive lineman Bruce Matthews and defensive tackle Merlin Olsen. The 44-year-old leads the NFL in passing yards (4,134) and touchdown passes (36).
Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk and Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs were the top vote-getters by the fans, the NFL said.
The Pro Bowl is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 6, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas (ABC/ESPN).
Here’s a team-by-team look at players chosen for this season’s game:
Jump to:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN | NE
NO | NYG | NYJ | OAK | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH
Pro Bowlers: Stefon Diggs, WR (2), Dion Dawkins, LT (1)
Diggs isn’t having the franchise-record-setting season he had last year, but he still continues to show why he is one of the best receivers in the NFL. Named to a Pro Bowl in each of his first two years with the Bills, Diggs has 82 receptions for 1,007 yards and eight touchdowns. He joined Stevie Johnson (2010-12) as the only Bills to record 1,000 receiving yards in consecutive seasons. Dawkins is making his first Pro Bowl appearance and has been one of the team’s most consistent lineman with a pass block win rate of 92% (10th among all tackles).
Did you know? Diggs is the first Bills receiver to make consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl since Andre Reed (1988-94). — Alaina Getzenberg
Pro Bowlers: Xavien Howard, CB (3)
Howard stands out as the Dolphins’ unquestioned star. He leads the team with four interceptions and has also forced (and recovered) two fumbles — one of which for a game-sealing touchdown against the Ravens. While rookies Jevon Holland and Jaylen Waddle could have an argument for their first career Pro Bowl nods, there’s no doubting Howard’s impact and his potential to change the outcome of a game.
Did you know? Since entering the league in 2016, no other player has more interceptions than Howard’s 26. — Marcel Louis-Jacques
Pro Bowlers: J.C. Jackson, CB (1); Matthew Judon, OLB (3); Matthew Slater, ST (10)
Three slam dunks … and one notable snub in kicker Nick Folk. Jackson has emerged as one of the NFL’s top corners and ball hawks, as his seven interceptions lead the AFC and are second in the NFL behind the Cowboys’ Trevon Diggs (10). Meanwhile, this is Judon’s third consecutive year earning a Pro Bowl berth, as he has registered a career-high 12.5 sacks, and with one more, he will have totaled the most sacks of any player in Bill Belichick’s Patriots tenure. As for Folk, he leads the NFL in field goals (career-high 34), which includes five from 50 yards or farther, tying a team record. Beating out Justin Tucker (29-of-31 on FGs; 27-of-27 on PATs) was always going to be tough, but Folk had a strong case.
Did you know? Matthew Slater’s 10 Pro Bowl berths extend his own record for the most in history for a special teams player. Steve Tasker (Bills) is next, with seven. — Mike Reiss
Pro Bowlers: None
The Jets were shut out for the second year in a row, but that’s what happens when you’re 5-25 over that span. Not that we needed it, but this was the yearly reminder that the Jets’ roster isn’t good enough, not even close. Their last Pro Bowl selection was safety Jamal Adams (2018, 2019), who was traded to the Seahawks before the 2020 season. Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (six sacks) is having another solid year, but he plays on the league’s 32nd-ranked defense. Braxton Berrios leads the NFL in kickoff return average (he gets a lot of practice), but he hasn’t put any points on the board. Get the picture?
Did you know? Not including first-round picks, the draft hasn’t produced a Pro Bowl player for New York since 2006. That year, the Jets picked Leon Washington in the fourth round, and he made the Pro Bowl in 2008 as a kick returner. That is a sad commentary on the Jets’ recent draft history. Championship-caliber teams are built with second- and third-day draft picks, less heralded players who become stars. If they don’t flip that trend, the Jets never will get out of the perpetual rebuilding cycle. — Rich Cimini
AFC NORTH
Pro Bowlers: Lamar Jackson, QB (2); Mark Andrews, TE (2); Patrick Ricard, FB (3); Justin Tucker, K (5); Devin Duvernay, PR-KR (1)
Jackson, the only Ravens Pro Bowl player who isn’t a starter, was the surprise selection. Banged up and slumping, he has missed two games and is tied for the fourth-most interceptions this season (13). But Jackson carried Baltimore for the first half of the season, becoming the only player in NFL history to produce 2,000 passing yards and 600 rushing yards in his team’s first eight games. Andrews is enjoying a career season, topping all tight ends in receptions (85) and touchdown catches (eight). Ricard is a mauling blocker who has gutted out multiple injuries to help the NFL’s No. 3 rushing attack. Baltimore’s top-ranked special teams landed two players in the Pro Bowl: Tucker, the league’s all-time most accurate kicker (90.9%) who set a record for the longest field goal in history (66 yards), and Duvernay, who leads the NFL in punt return average (14.4 yards).
Did you know? This is only the second time in the Ravens’ 27-year history that the team didn’t have a defensive player make the Pro Bowl. The only other instance was 2005, when Ray Lewis and Ed Reed missed a combined 16 games due to injury. Traditionally known for hard hitters and ball hawks, the Ravens have had 21 defensive players reach the Pro Bowl, totaling 68 appearances. This year, a banged-up Baltimore defense ranks No. 19 in the NFL. Pro Bowl cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters suffered season-ending injuries early in the year. — Jamison Hensley
Pro Bowlers: Ja’Marr Chase, WR, (1), Joe Mixon, RB, (1), Trey Hendrickson, DE, (1)
Chase headlines Cincinnati’s Pro Bowl class. Chase, who was voted as a starter as a rookie, still ranks eighth in the NFL in total receiving yards despite commanding attention from opposing defenses since his 201-yard performance against Baltimore in Week 7. Entering Week 16, Chase is eighth in the NFL with 1,038 receiving yards, tops among all rookies. Mixon, who is second in the NFL in rushing yards, makes his first career Pro Bowl. Defensive end Hendrickson also earned Pro Bowl honors. Hendrickson, a 2021 free-agent signing, is fifth in the league in sacks and 11th in pass rush win rate, according to NFL Next Gen Stats.
Did you know? Cincinnati ends a drought that helps explain the team’s five-year playoff drought. Before Wednesday’s announcement, Tyler Eifert represented the most recent Bengals draft pick to represent the team at the Pro Bowl. Eifert, the team’s first-round pick in 2013, was a Pro Bowl selection in 2015. — Ben Baby
Pro Bowlers: Joel Bitonio, G (4), Myles Garrett, DE (3), Nick Chubb, RB (2), Wyatt Teller, G (1) and Denzel Ward, CB (2)
Garrett, a defensive player of the year candidate, leads the way for the Browns, making his third Pro Bowl. But he will have company this time, as the Browns totaled five Pro Bowlers, the most for the franchise since the 2014 season. Both of Cleveland’s guards, Bitonio and Teller, were selected. Bitonio will be making his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl appearance, while Teller will be making his first. Chubb and Ward, part of Cleveland’s 2018 draft class, are both making their second Pro Bowls, as well.
Did you know? Garrett is the first Browns defensive end to make three Pro Bowls since Bill Glass (1963, 1964, 1965, 1968) made four. — Jake Trotter
Pro Bowlers: T.J. Watt, LB (4), Cam Heyward, DT (5)
Both Watt and Heyward are the obvious selections out of a Steelers team that’ has been inconsistent throughout the year. With 17.5 sacks, Watt is in the midst of a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber season. Heyward, selected to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl, leads all defensive linemen with 73 tackles, 41 solo tackles, seven stuffs and seven passes defensed. Heyward also has seven sacks.
Did you know? This was the first year since the 2008 season the Steelers didn’t have any offensive players selected to the Pro Bowl, and the first year since the 2013 season they had only two selections. — Brooke Pryor
AFC SOUTH
Pro Bowlers: None
The Texans do have three former Pro Bowlers on their active roster (QB Deshaun Watson, RB David Johnson, LS Jon Weeks) and one on injured reserve (LT Laremy Tunsil). This season has been the start of the rebuild for Houston, who signed more than 30 players to one- or two-year deals in the offseason. The lack of a Pro Bowl selection is not a surprise for the three-win Texans.
Did you know? Prior to this season, the Texans had gone 17 consecutive seasons (2004-20) with at least one player being selected to the Pro Bowl. — Sarah Barshop
Pro Bowlers:Jonathan Taylor, RB (1), Quenton Nelson, G (4), Ryan Kelly, C (3), Darius Leonard, LB (3), DeForest Buckner, DL (2), Kenny Moore, CB (1), Luke Rhodes, LS (1)
The seven players named to the Pro Bowl are the most the Colts have had since 2009. Taylor, the NFL’s leading rusher (1,518 yards), was the leading vote-getter in the fan ballot. He leads the league in total yards from scrimmage (1,854 yards), rushing touchdowns (17) and total touchdowns (19). Moore has been targeted a league-high 105 times, with opposing quarterbacks having a passer rating of just 78.4 when they attempt a pass in his direction.
Did you know? Nelson is the 54th player in NFL history and just the second Colts player — after Alan Ameche — to be named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons. –– Mike Wells
Pro Bowlers: None
The best candidate was punter Logan Cooke, whose net punting average of 44.2 yards ranks seventh in the NFL. Cooke’s 68 punts are fourth in the NFL, which makes his net punting average more impressive. It has really been that kind of year for the Jaguars: The punter is in the argument for the team’s best player along with running back James Robinson. Defensive end Josh Allen seemed to be on the way to a possible Pro Bowl spot after recording 5.5 sacks in the first eight games, but he hasn’t had a sack in the past six.
Did you know? The Jaguars have had three offensive players make the Pro Bowl in the past 11 seasons (RB Maurice Jones-Drew, WR Allen Robinson II and WR DJ Chark Jr.). Running back Montell Owens made it as a special teamer. –– Michael DiRocco
Pro Bowlers: Kevin Byard, S (2)
Byard was named to his second Pro Bowl since 2017. He leads the team this season with five interceptions and is in a five-way tie for the fourth most in the NFL. Byard returned one of his interceptions for a touchdown to help seal the Titans’ 28-16 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 11. Byard also returned a fumble for a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5.
Did you know? Byard was selected by the Titans in the third round of the 2016 draft. Since entering the NFL, Byard has 26 career interceptions, more than any other safety over that time period. — Turron Davenport
AFC WEST
Pro Bowlers: None
The Broncos had three players selected as first alternates in left tackle Garett Bolles, safety Justin Simmons and rookie cornerback Pat Surtain II. Simmons is easily the team’s biggest snub as one of the league’s best safeties, and Broncos coach Vic Fangio said Wednesday he believed Surtain deserved both Pro Bowl and Defensive Rookie of the Year consideration. It all means the league’s No. 2 scoring defense had no representatives. But the team needs a holiday miracle to keep from missing the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year, was not on Monday Night Football and lost both appearances in a Sunday night game. And given the offensive struggles for much of the season, the Pro Bowl options on the offensive side of the ball are in short supply.
Did you know? If none of the alternates eventually make the game, it will be the first time the Broncos have not had a Pro Bowl selection since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. They’ve had one Pro Bowl selection three times in defensive tackle Paul Smith in 1972, running back Sammy Winder in 1984 and punter Mike Horan in 1988. Just eight years ago the Broncos had 11 players, including injury replacements, selected to the Pro Bowl. — Jeff Legwold
Pro Bowlers: Orlando Brown, T (3), Tyreek Hill, WR (6), Chris Jones, DL (3), Travis Kelce, TE (7), Patrick Mahomes, QB (4), Tyrann Mathieu, DB (3)
It’s a veteran bunch of Pro Bowl picks for the Chiefs. All six players have been selected for the Pro Bowl at least twice in the past. While it hasn’t been Mahomes’ best season from a statistical standpoint, he still is second in the AFC in QBR. Hill and Kelce were obvious choices as they are among the statistical leaders at their positions. Brown wanted this year’s trade to the Chiefs so he could play left tackle, and his selection seems to validate his opinion that he can play the position. Jones missed three games because of an injury and later a COVID-19 diagnosis but still has seven sacks. Mathieu has put together another strong season.
Did you know? The Chiefs have had at least six Pro Bowl picks every year since 2017, when they had four. The last time they had fewer than four? In 2011, when they had two. — Adam Teicher
Pro Bowlers: Maxx Crosby, DE (1), Denzel Perryman, MLB (1), AJ Cole, P (1)
It has been an up-and-down year for the Raiders, who have been 3-0, 5-2 and are now 7-7. But Crosby, Perryman and Cole have been constants for Las Vegas. Crosby is a Pro Football Focus favorite, with his 78 pressures leading all NFL edge rushers and his 25.8% pass rush win rate tied for first, along with a 90.9 PFF grade and 91.8 pass rush grade both ranking second. Perryman has missed two games because of an ankle issue but had been leading the NFL in tackles, and Cole is a strong-legged punter in the Raiders’ tradition of fellow Pro Bowler Shane Lechler and Hall of Famer Ray Guy.
Did you know? Perryman, acquired in a Sept. 1 trade, is the Raiders’ first middle linebacker to make the Pro Bowl since Matt Millen in 1988. — Paul Gutierrez
Pro Bowlers: Justin Herbert, QB (1), Keenan Allen, WR (5), Derwin James, S (2), Corey Linsley, C (1), Joey Bosa, DE (4), Rashawn Slater, DE (1)
Herbert and Slater were considered locks due to the seasons they had. Herbert, in just his second year, has passed for 4,058 yards and 32 touchdown passes (third in the NFL). Slater, a rookie out of Northwestern, has made an immediate impact at left tackle on the Chargers’ revamped offensive line along with Linsley, a free-agent pickup from the Packers in the offseason. James has 103 tackles and fills virtually every role in the secondary for the Chargers, whose six Pro Bowlers are their most since they had seven in 2018.
Did you know? James returns to the Pro Bowl after missing all of last season and 11 games in 2019 due to injury. He made the Pro Bowl in 2018 as a rookie, earning All-Pro honors that year. Herbert has already bested his touchdown pass input from last year, when his 31 touchdown passes set an NFL rookie record. — Shelley Smith
NFC EAST
Pro Bowlers: Tyron Smith, OT (8), Zack Martin, OG (7), Micah Parsons, LB/DE (1), Trevon Diggs, CB (1), Bryan Anger, P (1)
There isn’t a surprise among the group. Parsons is looking like the defensive rookie of the year and maybe the defensive player of the year with 12 sacks. Diggs leads the NFL with 10 interceptions and could be the first Cowboy with 11 in a season in 40 years with one more pick in the final three games. Martin is one of the best — if not the best — guards in football. He made the Pro Bowl in each of his first six seasons before injuries interrupted the streak a year ago. Smith remains a powerful left tackle despite his recent injury history. Only five players in team history have been selected to more Pro Bowls, and four are Hall of Famers with Jason Witten set to become one. Anger leads the NFL in net average (43.9 yards), and opposing teams are averaging just 7.3 yards per return.
Did you know? Parsons and Diggs are the second pair of teammates with at least 10 sacks and at least 10 interceptions as first- or second-year players since Mark Carrier (10 interceptions) and Trace Armstrong (10 sacks) of the Chicago Bears in 1990. Parsons is the first Cowboys rookie linebacker to make the Pro Bowl since Leighton Vander Esch in 2018, Diggs is the first Cowboys cornerback to make the Pro Bowl since Byron Jones in 2018, and Anger is the first Cowboys punter to make the Pro Bowl since Mat McBriar in 2010. –Todd Archer
Pro Bowlers: None
The Giants aren’t sending anyone to the Pro Bowl for the second time in three years. This speaks volumes about a roster that hasn’t produced a winning season in five years. The best case can be made for kicker Graham Gano. He has made 87% of his field goal attempts, and special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey made the case for him recently because of “consistency.” Gano has made 92% of his field goals in two years with the Giants. The problem was that the Rams’ Matt Gay made 28 of 29 kicks (97%) this season. The only other Giant who even seemed to have a realistic chance was second-year safety Xavier McKinney (five interceptions).
Did you know? McKinney finished second in the fan voting among free safeties in the NFC. Gano finished second among kickers in the fan voting as well. Fans, coaches and players each count for one third of the voting. — Jordan Raanan
Pro Bowlers: Jason Kelce, C (5), Darius Slay, CB (4)
Kelce, 34, continues to steadily build a Hall of Fame-worthy résumé. He remains at the top of his game in Year 11, boasting a 96% pass block win rate, which is tied for third best among centers. He is the brains of the operation up front and continues to show improbable speed as a lead blocker, as evidenced in Tuesday’s win over Washington when he reached 16.53 mph while leading the way for running back Miles Sanders on a 38-yard scamper, according to NFL Next Gen stats. Kelce has started 119 straight games for Philadelphia, the longest active streak among centers. Slay has lived up to his “Big Play” nickname this season and then some with three defensive touchdowns. He has three interceptions, nine pass breakups, four tackles for loss and two fumble returns through 14 games. Slay, 30, has held opposing quarterbacks to an average QB rating of 74.
Did you know? Kelce appeared in his 156th career game Tuesday, tying Jerry Sisemore for the fourth most by an offensive lineman in Eagles history. He is fourth among centers in run block win rate (72%), leading the charge for a ground game that is tops in the NFL in rushing at 165.6 yards per game. — Tim McManus
Pro Bowlers: Jonathan Allen, DT (1), Brandon Scherff, G (5)
Allen has been Washington’s best defensive player this season and arguably its top performer overall. He has a career-high 8.5 sacks. He has recorded 10 solo tackles for a loss, one shy of his career best in 2018 (which was set with 142 more snaps). Allen has lived up to the four-year contract extension worth up to $72 million he signed before the season. Meanwhile, Scherff has made the Pro Bowl five times in his seven seasons with Washington. The right guard, a 2020 All-Pro, is adept blocking inside or on the move. But this could be his last one with Washington: Scherff is playing on the franchise tag for a second consecutive season, and there has been little movement in past offseasons toward a long-term deal.
Did you know? Allen is the franchise’s first interior defensive linemen to make the Pro Bowl since Dave Butz did it in 1983. Since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, Washington has had just three seasons in which an interior defensive lineman earned this honor. Diron Talbert was named to the team in 1974. Also, since 2013, Washington has had 10 different players make the Pro Bowl; all but P Tress Way were drafted by the organization. — John Keim
NFC NORTH
Pro Bowlers: Robert Quinn, OLB (3), Jakeem Grant Sr., RS (1)
Quinn followed an exceptionally rare path, returning to the Pro Bowl at age 31 after a seven-year absence. It has been so long that his last Pro Bowl appearance came when he was with the Rams when they were still based in St. Louis. He has been a genuine force for the Bears all season after managing just two sacks in 2020, his first year with the organization after signing from Dallas. This season, he amassed more sacks (16) through Week 16 than every NFL player except T.J. Watt. Grant is the only NFL player this season to return a punt for a touchdown, a 97-yard sprint against the Packers in Week 14. He ranks second in the NFL in punt return average (12.3 yards) and third in the NFC in kickoff return average (24.2).
Did you know? This is the second consecutive season in which the Bears have sent a pass-rusher and a return specialist to the Pro Bowl. In 2020, linebacker Khalil Mack and specialist Cordarrelle Patterson made the team. But Mack played only seven games this season, notching six sacks before undergoing foot surgery. Patterson signed as a free agent with the Falcons and has had a career year with 1,089 yards and 10 touchdowns combined via rushing and receiving. — Kevin Seifert
Pro Bowlers: None
The first season in Detroit for Coach Dan Campbell got off to a rough start, with the Lions beginning 0-8, so to no surprise, the team received little individual recognition. Cornerback Amani Oruwariye leads the Lions with six interceptions, and rookie tackle Penei Sewell has shown flashes of the player he can be in the league, but overall, it hasn’t been a good year for the team, which reflects in the voting for the NFL’s all-star game.
Did you know? This is the first time since the 2009 season that no Lions were selected for the Pro Bowl. Tight end T.J. Hockenson, guard Jonah Jackson, fullback Jason Cabinda and linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin were all named alternates. — Eric Woodyard
Pro Bowlers: Davante Adams, WR (5), Kenny Clark, DL (2), Aaron Rodgers, QB (10)
After giving serious offseason thought to leaving the Packers, Rodgers is having one of the best seasons of his career at age 38 and is a strong contender to win the NFL’s MVP award for the second consecutive year. His touchdown-interception ratio (7.5) ranks atop the league, as does his 110.4 passer rating. Despite missing one game after a COVID-19 diagnosis and playing on a broken toe for more than a month, he ranks No. 5 in touchdown passes (30) and No. 7 in completion percentage (67.8). Rodgers returned to Green Bay to play at least one more season with Adams, who ranks No. 3 in the NFL in receiving yards (1,248) and No. 4 in receptions (96). Clark is slowly being recognized as one of the NFL’s top interior disruptors. He leads the Packers’ defensive line with 43 tackles and has four sacks.
Did you know? Rodgers has more Pro Bowl selections than anyone in the storied history of the Packers franchise. Brett Favre and Forrest Gregg were each selected nine times. Willie Wood had eight. Adams currently ranks No. 7 on the list and is one of two Packers receivers in team history to make five consecutive Pro Bowls (James Lofton). — Kevin Seifert
Pro Bowlers: Dalvin Cook, RB (3); Justin Jefferson, WR (2); Harrison Smith, S (6)
Cook leads all current Vikings with three straight Pro Bowl selections and is the NFC’s top rusher with 1,067 yards. Jefferson is the third Minnesota receiver to have consecutive Pro Bowl seasons to start his career, joining Hall of Famer Randy Moss and Sammy White. The former LSU star has accounted for 36.2% of Minnesota’s receiving yards this season, and his nine TDs are tied for the fourth most by any wideout in 2021. Smith led all NFC safeties in fan voting. Since entering the league in 2012, Smith and former Seattle safety Earl Thomas lead all safeties in the league for most Pro Bowl selections.
Did you know? The last player in the NFL to make it to the Pro Bowl in his first two seasons was Indianapolis Colts guard Quenton Nelson in 2018 and 2019. — Courtney Cronin
NFC SOUTH
Pro Bowlers: Kyle Pitts, TE (1); Josh Harris, LS (1)
Neither one of these picks is surprising. Pitts has been one of the league’s top tight ends this season despite some up-and-down play and has been a matchup nightmare for opponents. Even facing double coverage, he has caught 58 passes for 847 yards and one touchdown — on pace to set rookie marks for tight ends in receptions and yards. Harris has been one of the better snappers in the league the past couple of years. The surprise is that cornerback A.J. Terrell did not make the Pro Bowl. Terrell, in his second season, has been a revelation at cornerback, allowing a 49.3% completion rate, a 60.8 passer rating and just two touchdowns, according to Pro Football Reference. Of course, sometimes Pro Bowl recognition comes a year after a breakout. Terrell is on pace for future honors.
Did you know? Kyle Pitts is the latest in a long line of Pro Bowl tight ends from the Falcons the past 20 years, from Alge Crumpler (four Pro Bowls) to Tony Gonzalez (four Pro Bowls) to Austin Hooper (two Pro Bowls). Every tight end who has made the Pro Bowl for the Falcons has made at least two — including Jim Mitchell (1969, 1972) and Junior Miller (1980, 1981). Miller and Pitts are two of only six rookie tight ends to make the Pro Bowl since 1970, joining Jeremy Shockey (2002), Keith Jackson (1988), Charle Young (1973) and Raymond Chester (1970). — Michael Rothstein
Pro Bowlers: Brian Burns, OLB (1)
Many thought Haason Reddick would be voted in as a starter after leading the fan vote at outside linebacker. But it was Burns who got the nod as a starter despite having two fewer sacks, nine to Reddick’s 11. Burns, 23, has 25.5 career sacks and six strip-sacks, the highest totals of anyone in the 2019 draft class. The former Florida State star also has 54 QB hits. Only future Hall of Famer Julius Peppers with 30 had more sacks in his first 45 games for Carolina. Peppers finished his career fourth on the NFL’s all-time sack list with 159.5.
Did you know? Burns and Reddick have a customized golf cart riding on which one leads the team in sacks. So while Reddick was snubbed in the Pro Bowl voting, getting named a first alternate, he will have a shot at the golf cart. That would spoil Burns’ plans made back in training camp. “I already told him how I want mine done – black and purple and all spotted out,” Burns said. — David Newton
Pro Bowlers: Cameron Jordan, DE (7), Alvin Kamara, RB (5), Marshon Lattimore, CB (4), J.T. Gray, ST (1)
This is a good reminder of why the Saints are still 7-7 without QBs Drew Brees and Jameis Winston and WR Michael Thomas, among the overwhelming barrage of injuries they’ve suffered throughout the season. This team is loaded with elite talent (which also includes annually snubbed LB Demario Davis and OTs Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk, among others). A big part of that foundation came from their 2017 draft class. Kamara and Lattimore have now made the Pro Bowl a combined nine times out of a possible 10 selections since they were named the NFL’s Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year that season.
Did you know? Jordan now owns some family bragging rights. His father Steve was selected to six Pro Bowls as a tight end during his career with the Minnesota Vikings from 1982-1994. It’s been quite a month for Jordan, who was named the Saints’ Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee, then missed the first game of his 11-year career due to COVID-19, then came back with two sacks and a forced fumble against Tom Brady to be named the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Week. — Mike Triplett
Pro Bowlers: Tom Brady, QB (15), Shaq Barrett, OLB (2), Ryan Jensen, C (1), OG Ali Marpet (1), Tristan Wirfs, OT (1)
The Bucs are reaping some of the benefits of winning last year’s Super Bowl, and Tom Brady putting up record numbers at age 43. His 4,348 passing yards and 36 touchdowns through Week 15 are most in the NFL, while his offensive line has allowed just 20 sacks, the fewest of any QB in the league. They have eight alternates too: WR Mike Evans, ILB Devin White and S Antoine Winfield Jr. are all first alternates, followed by OG Alex Cappa, RB Leonard Fournette, WR Chris Godwin, TE Rob Gronkowski and DT Vita Vea.
Did you know? The Bucs’ five selections are the franchise’s most named to an initial Pro Bowl roster since 2002. And with his 15th career selection, Brady now has the most Pro Bowl selections of any player in NFL history. — Jenna Laine
NFC WEST
Pro Bowlers: Budda Baker, S (4), Kyler Murray, QB (2), James Conner, RB (2), Chandler Jones, OLB (4)
Arizona’s stars rose to the top this year. Murray became the first quarterback in franchise history to be named to the Pro Bowl in two of his first three seasons and is just the third quarterback in the team’s history to be named to multiple Pro Bowls. Baker was named to his third Pro Bowl at safety after being named as a special teamer as a rookie. Jones’ streak of making the Pro Bowl in odd-numbered years continues. He earned the honor in 2015 with the New England Patriots and then in 2017 and 2019 with the Cardinals. Conner earned his nod in his first season with Arizona.
Did you know? The last time the Cardinals had a quarterback who went to the Pro Bowl multiple times was 1987 when Neil Lomax accomplished the feat — 10 years before Murray was born. — Josh Weinfuss
Pro Bowlers: Cooper Kupp, WR (1), Aaron Donald, DT (8), Matt Gay, K (1), Jalen Ramsey, CB (5)
Kupp earns his first Pro Bowl selection amid a historic performance that has him among the top candidates to earn NFL Offensive Player of the Year. In his fifth NFL season, Kupp — a third-round pick from Eastern Washington in 2017 — leads the league in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. He could become the fourth player since the 1970 merger to win the NFL receiving “triple crown,” putting him in company with Steve Smith, Sterling Sharpe and Jerry Rice. Kupp has 122 receptions this season, the most in Rams franchise history, and his 14 receiving touchdowns are the second-most in team history behind Elroy Hirsch, who had 17 in 1951. Kupp is the only player in the NFL to have three straight games with at least 100 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown, and he’s now done it twice.
Did you know? The life of a kicker. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Gay with a fifth-round pick in 2019 but waived him prior to last season after he made only 77.1% of his field goals as a rookie. Gay bounced around the Indianapolis Colts‘ practice squad in the first part of the 2020 season before the Rams signed him to the active roster. And now, with a 96.6 field-goal percentage that includes two 55-yard kicks, Gay earns his first Pro Bowl selection in his third year in the league. — Lindsey Thiry
Pro Bowlers: Nick Bosa, DE (2), Kyle Juszczyk, FB (6), George Kittle, TE (3), Deebo Samuel, WR (1), Trent Williams, LT (9)
After having three Pro Bowlers a year ago, the 49ers biggest stars are shining brightly again in 2021. Williams is having the best season of his decorated career, and there’s an argument to be made he’s the best player in the league regardless of position. Bosa, Kittle and Samuel have bounced back from injury-plagued 2020s and re-established themselves as legitimate difference makers. And the beat goes on for Juszczyk, who continues to re-define what a fullback can do as a key cog in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. It’s no coincidence that the Niners’ season turned for the better when some of the names on this list got back to producing at the level that earned them these spots.
Did you know? Samuel is the first 49ers receiver to earn a Pro Bowl berth since Terrell Owens in 2003. That will be how this goes down in the record books, but the reality is Samuel should probably have his own category. Samuel leads the NFL in yards per reception (17.8) among players with at least 25 catches, and among players with 25-plus rushes, he leads the league in rushing average (6.9). Simply put, there’s nobody in the league like him. — Nick Wagoner
Pro Bowlers: Bobby Wagner, LB (8), Quandre Diggs, FS (2)
An eighth straight Pro Bowl selection to pad Wagner’s Hall of Fame resume was pretty much a lock considering he leads the NFL in tackles with 158. That puts him only 10 away from breaking his personal best of 167. As productive as Wagner continues to be, Diggs has arguably been Seattle’s defensive MVP this season with the impact plays he’s made — namely his team-high five interceptions. That matches his total from last season, when he made his only other Pro Bowl. Two straight appearances for Diggs — the NFC’s starting free safety and a pending free agent — will help his case for the big payday that Seattle didn’t give him this past offseason.
Did you know? Wagner’s eight Pro Bowls match Russell Wilson and Cortez Kennedy for second-most in franchise history, trailing only the nine of Walter Jones. Per ESPN Stats & Information, Diggs’ 10 interceptions over the last two seasons are tied for the most of any safety, and he’s one of only five players with that many in that span. — Brady Henderson
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