The 2017 Pro Bowl rosters have been announced for both the AFC and NFC, and many of the players who were expected to make it have made it. The league, thankfully, is returning to the formula of AFC vs. NFC for this year’s Pro Bowl, though it’s not like that has been a barrel of monkeys, either.
Matthew Stafford, Sean Lee lead list of 2017 Pro Bowl snubs
Stafford and Lee are joined by a handful of others who certainly deserved to be named to the Pro Bowl this season.
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images
In an ideal world, the Pro Bowl is still a prestigious honor. Being voted as among the best players in the league by peers, fans, and coaches probably means a lot to many players selected, even if a sizable portion of them will drop out and most will hope they are ineligible to attend because of other postseason commitments.
Maybe the honor has worn off for guys like Tom Brady, who has made his 489th Pro Bowl (this number is factual and cannot be disputed) or similar players who were announced to the squads on Tuesday evening, but it surely still holds significance to many. The full roster of the AFC can be found here, while the NFC’s is here.
And there were many who didn’t make it who probably should have. Below, we’re going to touch on a few of them, and we’ll start with the biggest snub this year.
QB Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions
Stafford leads a 9-5 Lions team that is atop the NFC North and didn’t have a single player named to the Pro Bowl. But Stafford is the real highlight. The 28-year-old quarterback is putting together one of the best seasons of his career.
Completing 66.3 percent of his passes for 3,720 yards, 22 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, Stafford is running an effective, efficient Lions offense that doesn’t simply rely on huge splash plays like the team has in recent years. Eight fourth-quarter comebacks, eight game-winning drives, and Stafford’s somewhat pedestrian touchdown numbers are much easier to digest.
He has looked more dynamic than ever, and the fact that he isn’t on the roster is startling.
LB Sean Lee, Dallas Cowboys
Five Cowboys players made the roster as starters, so it’s hard to be too upset about snubs, but Lee might legitimately be the best player on that team. The Cowboys were the first team in the NFL to clinch a playoff spot, and they own just two losses on the season. Lee has been a big part of that success. For how much credit Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott get on offense, Lee has been better on defense.
Lee has totaled 140 tackles on the season and is always around the ball. He can rush the passer, he can tackle any running back, and the only reason he’s not considered the absolute best linebacker in the league is that he’s had a few seasons derailed by injury. This is not one of them.
DT Damon Harrison, New York Giants
Harrison makes the Giants defense work. He’s been instrumental in New York’s late-season success, and he is the reason the rest of the defense has so many standout performers. Olivier Vernon has recorded 8.5 sacks despite being all over the field, and Harrison causing havoc in the backfield is a big part of that. He’s a 350-pound defensive tackle who has 80 tackles. That’s unreal.
P Marquette King, Oakland Raiders
Given that only a couple of punters make it each year, it’s hard to really call one a snub. But other than being a breath of fresh air in the “punters have personalities, too” department, King has been very good on the field this season — not to mention fun to watch.
He’s landed 28 punts inside the 20-yard line, has just five touchbacks, and is sixth in the NFL with a net punting average of 47.8 yards. He’s looking like he’ll be one of the top punters in the league for years to come.
S Eric Weddle, Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens are making a lot of noise about Weddle getting left out. The safety has consistently been one of the best players at the position for years. He’s not on pace to post career bests in any major statistical category like tackles or interceptions, but with 81 tackles and four interceptions, he’s still playing at a high level. Eric Berry, Devin McCourty, and Reggie Nelson are all in ahead of him, and while the first two have played great football, Nelson has struggled quite a bit this year, and it’s surprising to see him ahead of Weddle.
RB LeGarrette Blount, New England Patriots
Blount is having the best year of his career, with 1,060 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground. It’s worth noting that the three AFC running backs selected — Le’Veon Bell, LeSean McCoy, and DeMarco Murray — all have better per-carry averages and more yards than Blount. But Blount’s 15 touchdowns leads the league, and he fits so well into the Patriots offense. He broke the Patriots’ record for rushing touchdowns in a single season, and smart money is on him getting a couple more before all is said and done.
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