The NFL Pro Bowl is a series of games before the Super Bowl that consists of the best players in the league that season. Each year fans vote on who they think was the best at their positions. Because fans can vote, the Pro Bowl commonly consists of the most known players rather than those who truly deserve it. Players like Patrick Mahomes and Budda Baker made the Pro Bowl just off their names while other players had a much better statistical season and greater impacts on their teams.
For example, players like Josh Allen were snubbed from the Pro Bowl and should replace a quarterback like Patrick Mahomes who, in comparison, had a down season. Josh Allen led the league in touchdowns and had the 4th most passing yards while Mahomes was at 6th. Josh Allen finished the season with a higher QBR rating and a higher seed in the playoffs. Along with Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen also broke the QB single-season rushing touchdown record with 15 on the year.
Jalen Ramsey, Pat Surtain ll, Sauce Gardner, and Denzel Ward. These are the AFC corners that made the Pro Bowl. There is an argument to be made for L´Jarius Sneed, the cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs. Sneed didn’t allow a touchdown when he was the closest corner in coverage all year. He also recorded 2 interceptions 1 less than Ramsey who allowed a touchdown in half the amount of coverage snaps as Sneed.
Arguably the player most snubbed of a Pro Bowl spot would be Antoine Winfield Jr. who recorded 3 interceptions, 6 sacks, and 6 tackles for a loss and was a First-Team All-Pro. Budda Baker who had a disappointing season according to his stats from past seasons. this season he recorded 0 interceptions, 0 sacks, and 0 tackles for a loss. Budda was out most of the season and still made the Pro Bowl over Winfield Jr. who had a way more impressive season.
Yet another player who didn’t make the Pro Bowl was Amon-Ra St. Brown. St. Brown outclassed other WRs like Mike Evens, even though Evens had a great season and continues to be elite, St. Browns’ stats and impact are more impressive.
There are better ways to judge the players on how their season went than the current Pro Bowl selection. It’s a popularity contest where people simply vote for who has the biggest name rather than the best players that year. Instead, there should be competition between those who are selected within the all-pro teams, an already statistically based selection process that highlights the best of the best within the NFL.
