How did second string quarterback Tyler Huntley make the Pro Bowl? Better options for AFC quarterback at Pro Bowl

The Pro Bowl rosters were released at the end of last year, but there have been some tweaks to the teams as players have dropped out or suffered injuries since that time. There might be some surprises on the final rosters of the AFC and NFC teams, but none should come more of a surprise than Tyler Huntley’s inclusion to the NFL’s equivalent of an All-Star game.

Huntley played just six regular season games

Huntley started the season as the Baltimore Ravens back up quarterback and played just seven games all year. Six of those were regular season games, and just three of those were played before the Pro Bowl Voting was finalized.

In those three games he had no touchdowns, and averaged 137 yards passing. It’s true he did get the Ravens into the playoffs as a Wild Card by winning three of six games to finish the season, but Baltimore averaged just 12.5 points in those six games.

He gave the Cincinnati Bengals a fight in the first round of the AFC Playoffs, and if it wasn’t for a 98 yard run back on a Huntley fumble the Ravens might have advanced to the Diviosnal Round. By the time the Ravens got knocked out of the playoffs, the Baltimore back up had four touchdowns and four interceptions in six games played.

So how did a second string quarterback that played in just a third of the season get named to the NFL’s glitziest weekend of the year?

First of all, some stars won’t be available play because they will be preparing for the Super Bowl on February 12th. Six Kansas City Chiefs and a league high eight Philadelphia Eagles will not be on the field for this weeks flag football edition of the Pro Bowl.

Pro Bowl isn’t what it once was

Then we have to take into account the lack of prestige that comes with getting named to the Pro Bowl. Twenty years ago, ten years ago, or even five years ago the Pro Bowl was a big deal to players. Think of Sean Taylor laying out punter Brian Moorman back in the 2007 Pro Bowl. That’s a far cry from the game of two hand touch we saw in Las Vegas last year.

It’s understandable that players don’t want to play this game. It’s days some times weeks, or even a month after their season has ended. If your team’s season stopped after Week 18, you have had time to recover from the rigors of a full season of football. If your team went to the playoffs, you still might be licking your wounds as the Pro Bowl comes around. If you are a guy like Josh Allen who just saw the season come to a heart breaking end in the playoffs, the last thing you want to do is get ready for another football game as trivial as it may be these days.

That’s why it’s no surprise to see him drop out of the Pro Bowl citing an elbow injury, although I will say it’s interesting that he is scheduled to play in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am this weekend.

Allen may have dropped out, but that still doesn’t explain how Huntley was added on to the AFC Pro Bowl roster at the last minute. Derek Carr and Trevor Lawrence are heading to Vegas as the QBs for the AFC after replacing Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow who dropped out as well.

I’m going to give you Huntley’s stats and then a list of other AFC QBs that might have been better options. Maybe many didn’t feel like playing this game, but you can’t say there weren’t other healthy QB’s more qualified.

Huntley’s regular season stats:

COMP: 67.0 % Passing yards: 658 TD:2 INT: 3 RTG: 77.2

Uninjured available QBs :

Mac Jones

COMP: 65.2 % Passing yards: 2,997 TD:14 INT: 11 RTG: 84.8

Jacoby Brissett

COMP: 64.0 % Passing yards: 2,608 TD:12 INT: 6 RTG: 88.9

Kenny Pickett

COMP: 63.0 %. Passing yards: 2,404 TD:7 INT: 9 RTG:m76.7