Justin Simmons not happy about Courtland Sutton’s Pro Bowl snub

“I just thought Courtland [Sutton] had a great year, and at least deserved an alternate spot,” Broncos safety Justin Simmons said.

The Denver Broncos will have three players representing them at the Pro Bowl next month — Justin Simmons (safety), Pat Surtain (cornerback) and Marvin Mims (returner) were all elected as starters for the AFC.

Simmons was grateful for his All-Star nod, but he also took issue with the absence of one of his teammates, wide receiver Courtland Sutton.

“I just feel like I should say this: I know there’s a bunch of great receivers in our league, but I just thought Courtland had a great year, and at least deserved an alternate spot,” Simmons said last week. “It’s just disappointing to see that.

“I’m happy for the guys that got it. I think I’ve said it before — it’s not the easiest thing, but I don’t feel like they always do get it right in terms of getting every single person that they should. For our guys — for Pat and for ‘Marv’ — I think they did a great job getting it right with those two.”

Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson also came out in support of his favorite receiver, writing this on his Twitter/X page:

Sutton and guard Quinn Meinerz were Denver’s biggest Pro Bowl snubs this year (Meinerz is an alternate). Sutton’s ten touchdown catches this season tied for the third-most in the NFL and ranked second in the AFC.

This year’s Pro Bowl flag football game will be played in Orlando on Feb. 4. Peyton Manning (AFC) and Eli Manning (NFC) are returning as coaches.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=482983128]

Social media reacts to Antoine Winfield Jr.’s Pro Bowl snub

Fans had a lot to say about Antoine Winfield Jr.’s ridiculous Pro Bowl snub.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have just one Pro Bowler in wideout Mike Evans. And while Evans certainly deserves the nod, there was a big snub in Tampa Bay that the internet is none too happy about.

Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr. has been a menace this year for the Bucs. So far, he’s recorded three interceptions, five forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and five sacks. Despite this, though, he was not named to the Pro Bowl in 2024, with safety Budda Baker of the Arizona Cardinals making it over him for the NFC. Naturally, Bucs fans were upset, but national pundits and analysts who know ball were also baffled by the decision.

Here are just some of social media’s many reactions to the ridiculous snub:

12 49ers left off Pro Bowl roster named as alternates

On top of their *9* Pro Bowlers, the 49ers also have 12 (!!!) alternates:

The 49ers on Wednesday had a whopping nine players named to the NFC’s Pro Bowl roster after having 15 players receive the most fan votes at their position.

While the fan vote wasn’t enough to get all 15 of those players to Orlando for the Pro Bowl Games, it did help 12 (!!) 49ers get listed as alternates for the NFL’s version of an All-Star game.

It’s not a huge surprise San Francisco was so popular. It’s been one of the best teams in the sport all season and its roster is loaded.

Ideally the 49ers won’t have any players in Orlando because they’re busy preparing for the Super Bowl, but if they wind up missing the NFL’s biggest stage, here are the players they could also earn Pro Bowl honors as replacements:

Here are the Broncos’ biggest Pro Bowl snubs

Broncos WR Courtland Sutton and OG Quinn Meinerz were snubbed by Pro Bowl voters.

The NFL announced its rosters for the 2024 Pro Bowl on Wednesday and the Denver Broncos will be represented by three starters on the AFC team: cornerback Pat Surtain, safety Justin Simmons and returner Marvin Mims.

In addition to those three starters, the Broncos also have a pair of third alternates in guard Quinn Meinerz and fullback Michael Burton. If multiple guards and fullbacks drop out of the flag football game, Meinerz and Burton could be added to the roster in the coming weeks.

So, who are Denver’s biggest Pro Bowl snubs this year? The biggest one is Meinerz, who deserved more than an alternate nod, and the second most notable snub is wide receiver Courtland Sutton.

Sutton did not rank high in receptions or receiving yards this season, but he pulled off some of the best catches of the season and scored 10 touchdowns, tied for third-most in the NFL this year.

Here’s a quick look at all of the Broncos’ Pro Bowl snubs and honorable mentions from the 2023 season.

The NFL’s most egregious Pro Bowl snubs in 2021

Pro Bowl voting is controversial, and there are always deserving players left off the roster. Here’s who we think should have made it.

[mm-video type=video id=01fpwrjxv2r8s5mpp60r playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fpwrjxv2r8s5mpp60r/01fpwrjxv2r8s5mpp60r-9ed01dd7d1ba4f4703c63e7271beb3fc.jpg]

There was no Pro Bowl game after the 2020 regular season due to COVID, but at this point, the NFL will attempt to play the game Sunday, February 6, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, home of the Raiders. Whether the Omicron strain cooperates with that plan? We can but wait and see.

But the NFL did announce its Pro Bowl rosters on Wednesday night, which always leads to boisterous arguments about which players didn’t deserve their places, and which players were correspondingly “robbed” in the process.

We at Touchdown Wire have a list of players who were unfairly omitted from the 2021 Pro Bowl, and to make it reasonable, we’ve mentioned one player who should be taken off in favor of each more deserving player.

You can view the AFC Pro Bowl rosters here, and the NFC Pro Bowl rosters here.

All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus, Football Outsiders, and Sports Info Solutions. 

2 Chargers snubbed from 2022 Pro Bowl

The Chargers had a handful of players named to the Pro Bowl, but there were a couple who were snubbed.

On Wednesday night, the rosters for the 2022 Pro Bowl were revealed.

Six members of the Chargers earned the honor, and five others were named alternates, including a player who was more than deserving of making the team itself.

Austin Ekeler highlights the notable snubs across the league.

While Justin Herbert is the engineer, the offense would not be as productive if it weren’t for Ekeler’s services.

Ekeler, the do-it-all back, is sixth in the NFL in total yards this season (1,347), fourth in rushing touchdowns (10), and second to Jonathan Taylor in total touchdowns (17).

Derwin James and Joey Bosa were the only representatives on the other side of the ball. However, the man in the middle of the defense has played his way into being recognized among the best at his position.

Impactful against in coverage, and as a blitzer, Kyzir White has 115 tackles, 7.5 for loss, three interceptions, two forced fumbles, three quarterback hits, and a sack through 14 games.

But White not being named to the Pro Bowl is not a concern, as he has his eyes set on playing in a game with much more meaning.

“I would rather be in the Super Bowl – playing right here in L.A.,” White said. “I would rather get these wins, get into the playoffs, and make a Super Bowl run.”

Looking at 3 Eagles who were 2022 Pro Bowl snubs

#FlyEaglesFly had two players named to the #ProBowl, but let us Look at 3 #Philadelphia #Eagles who were 2022 #ProBowl snubs

The NFL released their 2022 NFL Pro Bowl roster and there were several surprising nominations on both the AFC and NFC side of the ball.

Darius Slay and Jason Kelce were the only two Eagles players to make the cut, but three others were clearly snubbed and left off the list.

Chargers QB Justin Herbert among ‘most egregious Pro Bowl snubs’

Justin Herbert is still on his way to winning Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The 2021 Pro Bowl rosters were unveiled on Monday.

By no surprise, wide receiver Keenan Allen and edge defender Joey Bosa were among the crop. But there was one player who many that was deserving that was nowhere to be found.

Quarterback Justin Herbert, who’s on his way to putting together the best campaign by a rookie signal-caller, didn’t make the cut, which caught many by surprise.

The omission of Herbert was so head-scratching that he made Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar’s list of the “most egregious Pro Bowl snubs.”

Here is what Farrar had to say:

While it’s hard to argue with any of the quarterbacks who did make it — Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Deshaun Watson in the AFC, and Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, and Kyler Murray in the NFC, it’s hard to leave Herbert off the list. The Chargers’ rookie franchise quarterback is having an amazing inaugural campaign, and he’s been especially effective against man coverage and under pressure. If Herbert keeps playing as he has, he’ll make more than his share of Pro Bowl rosters in the future

Like Farrar mentioned, it’s hard to exclude quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Deshaun Watson. But Herbert is every bit of deserving to be recognized with the group.

Herbert has completed 66.5% of his throws for 3,781 yards and 27 touchdowns against just 10 interceptions and for a 96.3 passer rating in only 13 starts.

Despite the underwhelming season by Los Angeles, Herbert’s presence has given reason for optimism. He’s the reason why he’s kept L.A. in every single game. With a competent play-caller, the sky is the limit.

Even if Herbert wasn’t named to the Pro Bowl this year, we can expect to see him recognized among the cream of the crop for years down the road.

2 Panthers players snubbed from NFC’s 2021 Pro Bowl roster

While they didn’t have many candidates, there are at least two who deserved a spot.

The NFL just announced the rosters for the 2021 Pro Bowl teams. While there’s no actual game to be played due to the pandemic, that doesn’t mean we don’t get to complain about obvious snubs.  In the end, no Carolina Panthers players made the cut for the NFC squad. While they didn’t have many candidates, there are at least two who deserved a spot.

Panthers defensive end Brian Burns is the first. At one point, he was leading the fan-part of the voting at his position in the conference. He was soon surpassed by Cameron Jordan of the Saints, though. Brandon Graham of the Eagles and Washington rookie Chase Young took the NFC’s other EDGE spots.

So, what happened?

Part of the problem is that team success inevitably plays a huge role in consideration for individual awards. While rightfully the two should be separated, that’s just not the way it works.

Burns’ traditional pass rushing numbers are also a bit behind the league’s other elite edge defenders. This is also part of the issue. Most people will focus exclusively on sacks and Burns “only” has eight so far this season to go with 20 quarterback hits.

Traditional stats aren’t everything, though. Burns has been every bit as disruptive as any edge defender in the NFC this year. Burns currently ranks fifth in pass rush win rate at his position and has occasionally broken into the top 10 in run stop win rate, as well. With more time in the league, Burns will eventually get his proper respect.

Another candidate as a snub was right tackle Taylor Moton. He’s blocked at a high level for the pass and the run all season. He had some pretty brutal competition, though. David Bakhtiari, Trent Williams and Terron Armstead are the three OTs on the NFC side.

[lawrence-related id=632001]

[vertical-gallery id=631972]

Broncos defenders Justin Simmons, Shelby Harris snubbed by Pro Bowl voters

Broncos safety Justin Simmons and nose tackle Shelby Harris should have received more votes for the 2020 Pro Bowl.

Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller is the only Denver player that was voted to the 2020 Pro Bowl, the league announced Tuesday evening. Wide receiver Courtland Sutton, safety Kareem Jackson and returner Diontae Spencer are alternates for the AFC at their respective positions.

Miller has now been voted to eight Pro Bowls in his career. John Elway is the only player in franchise history that was voted to more (nine). While that’s great achievement for Miller, fans in Denver can’t help but feel upset about the team’s big snubs: safety Justin Simmons and nose tackle Shelby Harris.

Simmons ranks second among AFC strong safeties with four interceptions and his 84 tackles rank third. Simmons was diplomatic when talking about his Pro Bowl candidacy on Tuesday but the fact that the safety is not even an alternate is absurd.

“When it comes down to it, whether I make it or not, I’ve just got to keep fighting the good fight and keep stacking up good seasons,” Simmons said.

Harris should have made the AFC roster as well, or at the very least made the alternate list. Harris ranks first among all defensive linemen with seven pass breakups and second among interior AFC defensive linemen with six sacks this season. He is a nose tackle but Harris believes being viewed as a defensive end hurts his chances of reaching the All-Star game.

“You’ve got all those outside rushers out there — you’ve got Von, Joey Bosa,” Harris said Tuesday. “That’s what I feel like needs to change when it comes to Pro Bowl, but other than that you’ve got three, four ends who aren’t really ends, but we get considered like we’re Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram and those guys.

“If anything, I think three or four ends should be classified as tackles. That’s just the way it is. You have to think about it, [Derek] Wolfe’s never made it in, but look — J.J. Watt. J.J. Watt is specifically outside now. It sucks, but that’s not really what we play the game for anyway. It’s just an added bonus.”

That’s a valid point from Harris. Players like him and Wolfe who play in a 3-4 defense should not be viewed the same way traditional defensive ends are viewed. Harris was one of the AFC’s best interior defensive linemen this season and he should have been rewarded with a Pro Bowl nod.

[vertical-gallery id=629531]