While it does not have the allure of the MLB or NBA All-Star Games, the Pro Bowl still is a great honor for players to receive to recognize their hard work. It is by no means a fail-proof way to measure the value of players, but it is nice to see the Chargers who have put in the hard work get a little something for their efforts.
The league announced its Pro Bowlers on Wednesday and there were only two players from the Bolts that made the team: safety Derwin James and edge rusher Khalil Mack. There were various alternates for the Bolts, some of which probably should have earned the nod.
It happens every year because the Pro Bowl is inherently flawed, but there are several Chargers who were robbed of an honor that they worked hard for this season.
2 Chargers who were ridiculously snubbed from the Pro Bowl:
1. Drue Tranquill
The fact that Drue Tranquill did not even get the honor of being an alternate is pretty disgraceful. Say what you will about James and Mack, but Tranquill has probably been the team's best defensive player this season. He has certainly been the most consistent and seems to make 1-2 huge plays a game that shifts the entire outlook.
It has been a career year for Tranquill and he has the numbers to back it up. Entering Week 16, Tranquill has 118 combined tackles with four sacks, four pass breakups, a forced fumble and an interception. Only four other players in the league have 100+ combined tackles with four sacks and four pass break-ups: Derwin James, Roquan Smith, Bobby Wagner and Devin White.
Tranquill simply is not a household name, hence why he got snubbed over some more popular players. Chargers fans certainly recognize the hard work that he has put in this season.
2. Austin Ekeler
Austin Ekeler was named a Pro Bowl alternate and with how things typically go with the Pro Bowl, there is a very good chance that he gets the first Pro Bowl honor of his career when it is all said and done. There will be players either in the Super Bowl or that simply do not want to go that will open the door for Ekeler to get the nod.
That being said, it is pretty silly that Ekeler even needs this to make the Pro Bowl this season. He might be having a fantastic season running the ball but his impact on this offense alone is undeniable. Heck, he at least deserves the honor just for the respect since he leads the league in touchdowns over the last two years and has never made the game before.
The running backs who made it over Ekeler in the AFC certainly are talented but you can definitely make the case for Ekeler to at least take one of their places. Nick Chubb, Josh Jacobs and Derrick Henry have all been good but I would not say they have been heads and shoulders above Ekeler. Jacobs is the only one that undoubtedly should get the nod.
Both Henry and Chubb have more yards from scrimmage than Ekeler but Ekeler has more total touchdowns as he yet again leads the league. He also has not benefitted from the sheer number of carries that Henry and Chubb get. Henry leads the league with 296 carries while Chubb is not far behind at 252. Ekeler has 165.
At least Ekeler got enough recognition to be the first alternate but in reality, he should 100% be one of the three running backs for the AFC.
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.