The 2020 NFL Pro Bowl rosters were announced on January 15. With that announcement, the Raiders had two players make the team — Rodney Hudson and Trent Brown — and two players who were considered major snubs.
Those snubs were rookie running back Josh Jacobs and breakout tight end Darren Waller. Both players were selected as alternates. One or both of perhaps both of them could have gotten the call anyway if not for injuries.
You see, the AFC title game will feature Pro Bowl players on both sides who were selected over Jacobs and Waller. Titans running back Derrick Henry and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. And the rule is that if your team makes the Super Bowl, you give up your spot on the Pro Bowl roster for an alternate. One of these teams will make the Super Bowl, so someone will be replacing either Henry or Kelce.
Unfortunately for the two Raiders snubs, they are both recovering from injuries at the moment and may not be available to accept what would be their inevitable Pro Bowl invitation.
Jacobs is recovering from a broken shoulder that cost him the final two games of last season. So even if the Titans were to win, he would have to decline his invitation. And you’d have to figure there would even be a good chance should the Titans lose because Henry has been pounding the rock all season; a career-high 303 carries.
It seems very likely Henry will bow out of the Pro Bowl regardless of the outcome this weekend. But, when that happens, Jacobs will have to have fully healed from his broken shoulder over the past five weeks in order to play.
Waller may or may not be available. He had thumb surgery just after the season ended, so depending on the severity of that, he could replace Travis Kelce should the Chiefs make the Super Bowl. But it would be a miracle.
Normally players wouldn’t try to come back from a surgery after the season to play in a meaningless game, but for Waller, it’s not the game itself, but just being named to the team that holds meaning. And if he can’t play, they will pass him up for the next guy.
The Raiders’ other two Pro Bowl alternates are Richie Incognito and Alec Ingold. Incognito is also injured and neither position has a Pro Bowler in the AFC Championship game.
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