Philip Rivers, Eric Weddle Named to Pro Bowl

Dec 22, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Chargers safety Eric Weddle (32) after an interception during the first half against the Oakland Raiders at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

At 6:00 PST, the NFL announced the players selected for the 2014 NFL Pro Bowl. Check out the rest of the Pro Bowl selections here. Remember, the Pro Bowl will not be the typical AFC vs. NFC pillow fight that the NFL axed last year. This year, the NFL will debut their new, fantasy-style Pro Bowl draft from the list of selected players.

So, Philip Rivers and Eric Weddle could very well end up playing against each other this year. Another major change, the blue and red jerseys will also be gone. In their place is the new neon color scheme of “vibrant orange” and “volt green.” Check them out if you haven’t seen them yet:

(Courtesy of NFL Communications)

Philip Rivers was selected for his 1st Pro Bowl since the 2011 season, when Vincent Jackson and Ryan Mathews joined him. Rivers has had a resurrection season to say the least. Rivers is leading the NFL in completion percentage at 69.2%. He is 4th in the NFL in passing yardage with 4249. Rivers trails only Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, and Mathew Stafford in that category. Rivers is 5th in the NFL in passing touchdowns with 29, with only 10 interceptions on the year. Rivers is well deserving of the nomination so it will be interesting to see where he gets picked. This will be Philip Rivers’ 5th Pro Bowl nod.

Eric Weddle has already posted over 100 tackles on the year, 2 interceptions, a sack, and a forced fumble. It’s harder to judge defensive players based on stats alone, though. Eric Weddle was all over the place for the Chargers D this year. He can rush the passer off the edge, play nickle on 3rd down, and most importantly, patrol the deep end of the field. Weddle is by far the best player on the Chargers defense, and probably the best safety in football. Plus, that beard is just unrivaled. This will be Eric Weddle’s 4th Pro Bowl selection (4th in a row without the gap year).

Here’s what Coach Mike McCoy had to say to Ricky Henne of  Chargers.com about the nominations:

“Philip and Eric are both deserving representatives of our organization, as are several other players. Their play speaks for itself, and they are both great leaders and great teammates. I’m very proud they will be representing the Chargers at the Pro Bowl.”

Five Chargers were also named as Pro Bowl alternates: TE Antonio Gates, C Nick Hardwick, FB Le’ron McClain, P Mike Scifres, and RB Ryan Mathews.

I actually can’t wait to see how the new Pro Bowl format turns out and how our offensive and defensive captains rep the Super Chargers. Be sure to tune in to the Pro Bowl draft on January 22 at 5:00 PM PST.

Bolt Up!