A total of 18 former Wisconsin Badgers were included on the 2025 NFL Pro Bowl Games ballot on Tuesday.
On the offensive side of the ball, 11 UW alumni were featured on the NFL’s voting list. The most notable include quarterback Russell Wilson (Pittsburgh Steelers), running back Jonathan Taylor (Indianapolis Colts), running back Braelon Allen (New York Jets), full back Alec Ingold (Miami Dolphins) and tight end Jake Ferguson (Dallas Cowboys).
Offensive linemen Rob Havenstein (Los Angeles Rams), David Edwards (Buffalo Bills), Kevin Zeitler (Detroit Lions), Tyler Biadasz (Washington Commanders), Tanor Bortolini (Colts) and Joe Tippmann (Jets) were also featured.
Defensively, tackle Keeanu Benton (Steelers), inside linebacker T.J. Edwards (Chicago Bears) and outside linebackers Andrew Van Ginkel (Minnesota Vikings), T.J. Watt (Steelers), Nick Herbig (Steelers), Zack Baun (Philadelphia Eagles) and Leo Chenal (Kansas City Chiefs) were selected as eligible for the ballot.
On the surface, the most surprising inclusions on the lists are Benton and Allen. While the list is nowhere near final, these former Badgers rarely receive national attention, and they will surely fail to make the final Pro Bowl roster.
Nonetheless, they’re eligible. A total of 69 defensive tackles and 42 running backs were featured on the ballot. Since both Benton and Allen have each logged 11 games and made a statistical impact for their respective teams, they ultimately appear on the ballot.
Here's your daily reminder to head over to https://t.co/ckNIANImD6 and #ProBowlVote for your favorite #NFLBadgers ‼️
Here's a look at everyone on the list ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/XYKRkaJbfg
— NFL Badgers (@NFLBadgers) November 26, 2024
Baun, Watt and Van Ginkel are likely shoe-ins for the Pro Bowl Games this winter. With 105 total tackles, Baun is trending towards an All-Pro appearance, Van Ginkel is among the NFL’s sack leaders with nine sacks, while Watt is a perennial Pro Bowler.
This winter’s Pro Bowl features a flag football game and several skill competitions. It is slated for Sunday, Feb. 2 at 2:00 p.m. CT in Orlando, Florida.