Pro Bowl snubs: 5 players the NFL failed to reward
The NFL unveiled rosters for the 2024 Pro Bowl Games on Wednesday, and some deserving names were inexplicably missing from the AFC and NFC teams.
Here are the five biggest snubs:
Josh Allen, QB, Bills
Allen not being among the top three AFC quarterbacks in the Pro Bowl has to be one of the event's most controversial decisions. Granted, the Bills star has thrown 16 interceptions this season, the second-most in the NFL. However, Patrick Mahomes - who claimed his sixth career Pro Bowl nod - isn't far behind Allen with 14 picks. The main difference is that while Mahomes has accounted for 4,572 yards and 27 combined touchdowns, Allen has contributed 42 combined TDs with 4,404 total yards.
Allen - the first player in NFL history with at least 40 combined touchdowns in four straight seasons - also has fewer turnover-worthy plays than Mahomes, according to PFF.
Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions
Brandon Aiyuk, WR, 49ers
The fact St. Brown and Aiyuk didn't make the Pro Bowl shows how incredibly deep the NFC roster is at wide receiver. There's nothing wrong with the Lions pass-catcher and the 49ers wideout missing the cut behind CeeDee Lamb, A.J. Brown, Mike Evans, and Puka Nacua, who are all having stellar seasons. But there's an issue when we look at the AFC wide receivers.
| Rec. | Yds | TDs | Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player 1 | 112 | 1371 | 9 | 111.1 |
| Player 2 | 72 | 1317 | 7 | 124.3 |
| Player 3 | 96 | 1197 | 7 | 106.3 |
Player 1 is St. Brown, who has more catches, yards, and TDs than Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja'Marr Chase (Player 3), one of four receivers selected in the AFC. Aiyuk, our Player 2, also has more yards than Chase and a significantly better passer rating when targeted. Aiyuk also leads the league with 18.3 yards per reception.
As mentioned, it's hard to go against Lamb, Brown, Evans, or Nacua as NFC Pro Bowlers. However, with guys like St. Brown and Aiyuk snubbed while having monster campaigns, we wonder if the AFC-NFC format is the best way to go in the Pro Bowl. Chase has been very good this season. Not as good as St. Brown and Aiyuk, though.
Demario Davis, LB, Saints
Seattle Seahawks veteran Bobby Wagner is an all-time great linebacker and is having a solid age-33 season. But are we sure his 2023 campaign is better than Davis'? One of football's best linebackers in pass coverage and a cornerstone of a top-five New Orleans defense, Davis has racked up more QB hits (11-6), sacks (6.5-3.5), pass breakups (4-3), and forced fumbles (1-0) than Wagner. He's also PFF's second-ranked linebacker behind Pro Bowler Fred Warner.
Wagner over Davis certainly wasn't the best choice. Being a Pro Bowl snub isn't something new for Davis, though. The 34-year-old has earned only one career Pro Bowl selection despite claiming four All-Pro berths, including a first-team nod.
Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Buccaneers
We often see players gain All-Pro honors despite being left off the Pro Bowl roster. And that might happen with Winfield, arguably the biggest snub on this list. (Checks again to make sure Winfield isn't a Pro Bowler this year)
The 2020 second-round pick has made plays all over the field for the Bucs while enjoying a career season in the final year of his rookie contract. Winfield has racked up 117 tackles (five for loss), 12 pass breakups, five sacks, five forced fumbles, and three interceptions. That's more than Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker has amassed in each of those categories. Baker has forced zero turnovers and is a Pro Bowler. So is Seahawks safety Julian Love, who hasn't been better than Winfield in any metric other than interceptions (four). Winfield has the second-highest grade at his position, according to PFF. Pro Bowler Jessie Bates is the only safety ahead of him.