UNFORTUNATELY, not everyone can earn a spot on the coveted Pro Bowl roster. The class of 2019 is no different with a huge batch of NFL stars recognised for their efforts this season and another group left on the outside looking in. Some omissions from the coveted squad were more surprising than others, with these nine dudes among the most notable snubs.
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Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
THREE roster spots were never going to be enough for a LOADED NFC running back corp. Don’t get me wrong Ezekiel Elliott, Todd Gurley and Saquon Barkley are all deserving of a spot, but for Alvin Kamara to not be on the roster seems sacrilegious. Kamara’s snub was fueled by the wide variety of weapons in New Orleans this season with the Saints tailback recording just 187 rushing attempts compared to 286, 256 and 223 from the aforementioned trio who made the cut.
Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs
CHRIS Jones is getting after the quarterback at a record rate, tying an NFL record last week with his 10th straight games recording a sack against the L.A. Chargers. However, not even a historic season could get Jones on the roster, with the Chiefs defensive end being tabbed as a defensive tackle in Pro Bowl voting. Sitting 5th in the league with 14.0 sacks on the season, Jones probably deserved the nod over divisional rival Melvin Ingram III, but you can’t fit everyone on the team sheet.
JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pittsburgh Steelers
THE argument could be made that JuJu Smith-Schuster deserved to be Pro Bowl bound more than his famous teammate Antonio Brown. Sure, Brown has more than twice the amount of touchdown’s (13 to 6), but Smith-Schuster outpaces Brown in every other major category, even with fewer targets coming his way (141 compared to 149). His time is coming, but JuJu was very unlucky to miss out.
Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
WITH so much fluctuation at quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season, Mike Evans’ stability is some to marvel at. No one in the NFC has more gains of 20+ yards than Evans, who has already chalked up a career-high 1,378 receiving yards with two games in hand. Becoming just the 3rd player ever to start his career with five straight 1,00 yard seasons is yet another milestone Evans checked off this season and I still have some faith he’ll make the trip to Florida as a replacement player.
Darius Leonard, Indianapolis Colts
LEAGUE leader in tackles Darius Leonard was one name we all expected to see once the Pro Bowl rosters were released. With a bunch of other first-year pro’s recognised for their achievements, the stellar Colt was unlucky to not join his fellow rooks, with one of the most dynamic playmakers in the entire league the definition of a shock omission. His team’s record was probably held against him, but Leonard shapes as a staple at the end of season classic for years to come.
Image from stampedeblue.com
Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
HE might take home the Comeback Player of the year award, but Andrew Luck wasn’t able to dethrone the GOAT for a spot in this year’s Pro Bowl. Don’t get me wrong Tom Brady has had a fine season, but his reputation probably saw him get the nod over Luck, who is having a career year now that he is finally healthy. Second, only to Patrick Mahomes in touchdown passes with 34, Luck is steering Indianapolis to a surprising postseason appearance and looks god damn impressive while he does so.
Christian McCaffery, Carolina Panthers
SPEAKING of god damn impressive, second year running back Christian McCaffrey has showcased why Carolina drafted him 8th overall in 2017 through 14 games. Setting a Carolina single-season franchise record for yards from scrimmage, McCaffrey is quickly establishing himself as one of the most versatile backs in the entire league. With 94 receptions on the season, McCaffrey needs just nine more catches to chalk up the most ever by a running back in a single season. Like I said, the NFC running back group is SERIOUSLY deep.
Image from pantherswire.usatoday.com
Adrian Peterson, Washington Redskins
THE third victim of the incredibly deep NFC running back slot is the age-defying Adrian Peterson. At 33, All-Day has turned his back on Father Time, leading the way for a now slumping Redskins offense. It might be a bit of a stretch to say that Peterson deserved the 8th Pro Bowl selection of his career, but with over 1,100 yards from yards and eight TD’s make he is at least a candidate for the snub list.
Leighton Vander Esch, Dallas Cowboys
WITH only two spots up for grabs as an NFC inside linebacker it’s hard to nudge out Bobby Wagner and/or Luke Keuchly. That being said, there might not be a more glaring omission than Leighton Vander Esch, who has been a one-man wrecking ball for the Cowboys in the second half of the season. His play helped fuel Dallas’ surge up the standings and all signs point to him snapping up one of the alternate roster spots.
Peace ✌