The San Francisco 49ers lead the NFL with nine players named to the 2024 Pro Bowl rosters announced Wednesday. Quarterback Brock Purdy and cornerback Charvarius Ward are first-time Pro Bowlers while wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk was named an alternate. Including Aiyuk, 12 alternates stem from San Francisco.
The NFC Pro Bowl quarterback selections also include Dallas Cowboys starter Dak Prescott and Los Angeles Rams veteran Matthew Stafford, while the AFC boasts Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa, Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson and Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen, Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff and Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts were notable Pro Bowl snubs.
Aaron Donald, the Rams star defensive tackle, made history with his selection, becoming the only defensive lineman since 1970 to make the Pro Bowl in each of his first 10 seasons. For the Ravens, this period marks the second consecutive year where Baltimore had seven Pro Bowl players.
Player selections were determined by the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches. The 49ers also dominated fan voting, with Purdy — the first 49ers Pro Bowl QB since Jeff Garcia in 2002 — amassing 451,864 votes, McCaffrey nabbing 429,993 and George Kittle receiving 373,750. Tagovailoa garnered 414, 502 fan votes and Chiefs TE Travis Kelce earned 327,263 to round out the top five fan vote-getters.
The NFL shifted to a new format for its Pro Bowl for the 2023 season, transitioning from a tackle football game to skills competitions and other events culminating in a flag football game between the AFC and NFC. That format will continue for a second year in 2024, with the Pro Bowl Games taking place on Feb. 4 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla.
The Manning brothers, Peyton and Eli, are set to return as the coaches of the AFC and NFC teams for the 2024 event.
Further Pro Bowl selections:
Running backs and fullbacks
NFC
AFC
Wide receivers
NFC
AFC
Tight ends
NFC
- San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle
- Detroit Lions TE Sam LaPorta
AFC
- Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce
- Cleveland Browns TE David Njoku
Offensive linemen
NFC
AFC
Defensive linemen and ends
NFC
AFC
Inside and outside linebackers
NFC
AFC
Cornerbacks and safeties
NFC
AFC
Special teams
NFC
AFC
Were any QBs snubbed?
Purdy and Prescott make sense for the NFC. But Stafford over Goff? The Lions starter — traded for Stafford two years ago — has slightly better numbers AND a better record this season. AFC selections — Tagovailoa, Mahomes and Jackson — are no-brainers. Could Josh Allen have beaten out Mahomes if not for the Bills’ struggles for much of the year? OR … Could CJ Stroud have made the cut over Mahomes given the Chiefs’ struggles had the rookie not gotten injured? — Mike Jones, NFL senior writer
With so much WR talent, players were bound to be left out
Wide receiver is a crowded spot in the NFC. Lamb and Brown make sense as starters, and few could argue with the inclusion of Evans and Nacua as reserves. But, arguments certainly could be made that highly-productive wideouts Amon-Ra St. Brown, DJ Moore and Aiyuk deserved to make the team. Who do you swap out for either, though? Evans is the only one with less than 1,300 entering Week 18, but he also has more touchdown catches (13) than any of them. In the AFC, the argument could be made for Courtland Sutton (10 touchdown catches) to make the team. But Hill, Chase, Allen and Cooper are a tough quartet. — Jones
No complaints in the RB category
None here, at least. All six selections topped the 1,000-yard mark this season and boast versatility with abilities to contribute in the passing game. — Jones
In the AFC, the Jets’ Quincy Williams should have made the cut after recording 131 tackles, 15 for loss, and an interception. But New York’s lack of success likely cost him.
NFC’s omission of Tampa Bay’s Antoine Winfield Jr. is curious. He certainly had a more productive campaign than Baker in Arizona. — Jones
From humble beginnings to 49ers linchpins
The 49ers had a league-high nine Pro Bowlers, the most since their 2013 squad that fell to the Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game. This year’s haul includes a pair of first timers with Purdy and Ward, who stand out for their humble NFL beginnings.
Purdy, of course, was the last pick in 2022 who in his second season leads all starting quarterbacks in passer rating and who on Sunday set the 49ers franchise record for passing yards in a season with 4,280.
Ward, meanwhile, went undrafted out of Middle Tennessee State in 2018. He had a sensational second half of the season in 2023, including shutting down Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf in Week 12 and returning an interception 66 yards for a touchdown three weeks later versus the Cardinals. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that Ward has given up just two touchdowns in 16 games. Opposing quarterbacks have a 56.8 passer rating when targeting him.
One player who was overlooked: Aiyuk, who already set a career-high with 1,317 receiving yards and who leads the league with an 18.3-yard per catch average. — Matt Barrows, 49ers beat writer
Required reading
(Photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images)
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