Patrick Mahomes not on NFL Pro Bowl team and some notable roster snubs

The NFL continues to make the Pro Bowl an honor that rewards a great season and culminates with a celebratory game in a warm-climate city after the season, but the truth is, those days are long gone.

Let’s face it, the Pro Bowl is now mostly something teams and agents agree can be a marker for incentive clauses that add bonuses to player contracts. It’s also a chance to keep fans engaged by believing they have a say in who the league’s best players are.

But the truest measures of excellence for the NFL are actually the All-Pro and All-Decade teams.

The Pro Bowl has lost its luster

Pro Bowl credentials have been somewhat marginalized by pundits. And the Pro Bowl games, more like flag football and other childhood games, have turned the Pro Bowl into a memory.

“Cool,” Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry replied when told he made the Pro Bowl.

With these truths as a backdrop, the NFL announced its Pro Bowl rosters on Thursday.

And this is today’s standout moment:

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, arguably the most consistent football player on the planet, did not make the AFC roster. The entire interior of the Chiefs’ offensive line made the AFC roster, but the best player on the team did not.

And we get it, Mahomes has just 22 TD passes and is out of the top 10 in passing yards per carry. match this year. But he’s the QB for the two-time defending Super Bowl champions and a 15-1 team, and he’s made the list every year since 2018.

So that’s remarkable. There are also snubs, and some of them seem curious. And by curious, we mean ridiculous.

We’re going to give you those names first because they don’t get any billing on a team they should be on. So we correct mistakes. Or something.

How is Hunter not on this team?

For example:

Texans DE Danielle Hunter: He is second in the NFL in sacks with 12, behind co-leaders and Pro Bowlers Trey Hendrickson and Myles Garrett. And he is the NFL leader with 90 quarterback pressures. Ninety!

Lions safety Kerby Joseph: He leads the NFL in interceptions with nine, which is two more than Green Bay free safety Xavier McKinney, who is on the Pro Bowl team.

NFL coaches preach the importance of turnovers and getting off the field. Opposing quarterbacks have a 43.9 percent completion percentage on attempts against Joseph. They have a 73.9 completion percentage on attempts against McKinney.

Jaguars WR Brian Thomas: Four receivers from each conference have been selected, and in the AFC, Thomas is second in receiving yards with 1,179 (while catching passes from Mac Jones, for God’s sake). He also ranks second with 10 TDs. But hey, he’s a rookie. Apparently they are not in the voter’s mind, so he didn’t make it.

Mayfield leads the NFC in TD passes

Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield: Joe Burrow leads the NFL with 42 TD passes and is on the AFC team. Mayfield is second in the NFL with 39 TD passes, but he is not on the NFC team. He actually has more TD passes than anyone in his conference. And he is second in passer rating in his conference. His omission is a joke.

So who made the Pro Bowl rosters? Here you go:

*Denotes start

AFC

Quarterback (3):

Return (3):

Back (1):

Chase Headlines AFC WRs

Wide Receiver (4):

Tight end (2):

Offensive tackle (3):

Offensive Guard (3):

Myles Garrett A familiar addition

Center (2):

Defense

Defensive End (3):

Interior Linemen (3):

Outside Linebacker (3):

Patrick Surtain II earns Start

Inside/Middle Linebacker (2):

Cornerback (4):

Free security (1):

Strong security (2):

Special teams

Long snapper (1):

Player (1):

Placekicker (1):

Return specialist (1):

Special teams (1):

Jared Goff leads AFC offense

NFC

Quarterback (3):

Return (3):

Back (1):

Wide Receiver (4):

Kittle makes Pro Bowl (again)

Tight end (2):

Offensive tackle (3):

Offensive Guard (3):

Center (2):

Will Bosa dance to Trump at the Pro Bowl?

Defense:

Defensive End (3):

Interior Linemen (3):

Outside Linebacker (3):

Inside/Middle Linebacker (2):

Cornerback (4):

Free security (1):

Strong security (2):

Aubrey headlines NFC Special Teams

Special teams

Long snapper (1):

Player (1):

Placekicker (1):

Return specialist (1):

Special teams (1):