2 Chargers who were snubbed from the Pro Bowl (and 2 who weren't)
By Jason Reed
2 Chargers who were not snubbed from the Pro Bowl:
Most fans would probably argue that these two players deserved to make the Pro Bowl this season. While we are all for supporting the Chargers, the fact of the matter is that these calls were probably the right ones when it was all said and done.
1. Corey Linsley
Like Ekeler, Corey Linsley is a first alternate for the AFC squad and that is probably the right call. This is not an indictment on Linsley as a player, either. He has been fantastic for the Chargers and it has been obvious when he doesn't play how important he is to this team.
But that is just it: there have been too many times in which Linsley has not played. That is not necessarily a knock on Linsley, but when you are picking the best offensive linemen from a given season you have to go with the ones that have been most available.
Linsley has missed three full games for the Chargers while also playing less than half in two different games in which he was pulled out at some point. With those factored in, Linsley has essentially missed four of the team's 14 games, which is over a quarter.
A case does not even need to be made for Creed Humphrey, who has been elite, but that is likely what broke the tie with Mitch Morse in Buffalo. While the snap-count percentage is actually identically (89%), Morse has missed one fewer game and trivial things like that make a difference.
2. Justin Herbert
There is no denying that Justin Herbert is one of the three most talented quarterbacks in the league and he might not be third. But that is not what the Pro Bowl is. It is meant to recognize the statistical season someone is having, not who is more talented.
That is why Herbert is an alternate this season as it has been a down year for him (which is still an elite year for almost everyone else). It is also hard to argue with the QBs that did get selected. Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Joe Burrow have all been pretty solid this year.
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If all things were equal and Herbert didn't have to deal with an array of injuries then he probably would have been good enough to get in. But with how the season has panned out, those three are the right call.