The NFL Players Association released its third-annual All-Pro team on Wednesday. One Minnesota Vikings player was represented on the team.
Justin Jefferson was one of two wide receivers selected to the team, joining Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase. This is the second time in three years that Jefferson has made the team.
It was another spectacular season for Jefferson. He caught 103 passes for 1,533 yards and ten touchdowns. This marked the third time in his career that he reached 100 receptions and 1,500 yards, becoming just the fifth player in NFL history to do so.
This is the only team that NFL players exclusively vote on. JC Tretter, who now serves as the NFLPA’s chief strategy officer, laid out the voting process when the 2022 team was announced:
- Only active NFL players can vote and they get only one vote.
- If a player missed five or more games as of Week 15, then they are ineligible. This is to ensure that we are choosing the best players who had the most impact this season. Being available counts.
- Players cannot vote for themselves or for their own teammates
- Players vote for the position group they play in and line up against.
- For example, centers can vote for:
- The best Center in the league
- The best nose tackle in the league
- The best Interior defensive lineman in the league
- The best off-ball linebacker in the league
The process makes sense, as players can only devote their attention to so many players and positions during the grind of an NFL season. It may not take an eight-year veteran to realize that Jefferson has once again been one of the league’s best receivers. But it’s fun to know that he has the respect of his peers.