AFC Pro Bowl roster 2017: Alex Smith is in, Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger are out

The 2017 Pro Bowl is here, and after the usual round of injured players and Super Bowl participants pulling out, the roster looks significantly different from the one that fans voted on a month ago.

Let’s take a look at how much the quarterback position changed in the AFC.

The original vote-getters (Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Derek Carr) were all sensible choices, but Brady is playing in the Super Bowl and Roethlisberger and Carr are out injured. So the new QBs are Andy Dalton, Philip Rivers, and Alex Smith. Rivers led the league in interceptions, Smith wasn’t totally impressive, and Dalton missed the playoffs. Not an inspiring crop of alternates, to say the least.

Things aren’t much different at running back. Jay Ajayi and Melvin Gordon replaced Le’Veon Bell and LeSean McCoy, with DeMarco Murray the only original Pro Bowler still in the game.

Wide receivers is yet another position group gutted by injuries. Antonio Brown, Amari Cooper, and A.J. Green all pulled out, leaving Demaryius Thomas, Jarvis Landry, and Emmanuel Sanders to take their place.

On the defensive side, Khalil Mack and Jadeveon Clowney (due to minor knee surgery) bowed out of the game, with Leonard Williams and Carlos Dunlap replacing them at defensive end. The cornerback position somehow stayed intact, with all four vote-getters set to play the game.

This isn’t the first time major star players have skipped the game, nor will it be the last. But as long as this keeps happening, there will continue to be little interest in the Pro Bowl, and we’ll have to continue to see oddities like “Alex Smith, Pro Bowl Quarterback.”

Below is the entire AFC roster for the 2017 Pro Bowl. For the NFC roster, you can go here.

Andy Dalton, Cincinnati Bengals
Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs

DeMarco Murray, Tennessee Titans
Jay Ajayi, Miami Dolphins
Melvin Gordon, San Diego Chargers

Kyle Juszczyk, Baltimore Ravens

T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts
Emmanuel Sanders, Denver Broncos
Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins
Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos

Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans

Joe Thomas, Cleveland Browns
Taylor Lewan, Tennessee Titans
Andrew Whitworth, Cincinnati Bengals

Kelechi Osemele, Oakland Raiders
David DeCastro, Pittsburgh Steelers
Richie Incognito, Buffalo Bills

Rodney Hudson, Oakland Raiders
Jeremy Zuttah, Baltimore Ravens

Cameron Wake, Miami Dolphins
Leonard Williams, New York Jets
Carlos Dunlap, Cincinnati Bengals

Geno Atkins, Cincinnati Bengals
Jurrell Casey, Tennessee Titans
Kyle Williams, Buffalo Bills

Lorenzo Alexander, Buffalo Bills
Von Miller, Denver Broncos
Brian Orakpo, Tennessee Titans

Zach Brown, Buffalo Bills
Ryan Shazier, Pittsburgh Steelers

Aqib Talib, Denver Broncos
Marcus Peters, Kansas City Chiefs
Chris Harris Jr., Denver Broncos
Casey Hayward, San Diego Chargers
Stephon Gilmore, Buffalo Bills

Reggie Nelson, Oakland Raiders

Darian Stewart, Denver Broncos

Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens

Dustin Colquitt, Kansas City Chiefs

Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs

Morgan Cox, Baltimore Ravens

D.J. Alexander, Kansas City Chiefs