The rosters for the 2025 Pro Bowl have been finalized after players decided whether or not they actually wanted to play in the game this coming Sunday.
25 people who weren’t originally named to the Pro Bowl are now expected to compete in the contest, including the 11 players filling in for members of the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. We will also see 30 first-time Pro Bowlers participating in the game.
Unfortunately, both of these rosters are limited to 39 offensive and defensive spots, meaning some players who had phenomenal seasons were left out of the game.
Let’s examine the individuals who were worthy of making the Pro Bowl but just missed the cut.
📰 Table Of Contents
- 1 Quarterback – Bo Nix, Broncos
- 2 Running Back – Kyren Williams, Rams
- 3 Wide Receiver – Puka Nacua, Rams
- 4 Tight End – Tucker Kraft, Packers
- 5 Offensive Line – Jordan Mailata, Eagles
- 6 Defensive Line – Will Anderson Jr., Texans
- 7 Linebacker – Robert Spillane, Raiders
- 8 Cornerback – Alontae Taylor, Saints
- 9 Safety – Kerby Joseph, Lions
Quarterback – Bo Nix, Broncos
I am honestly shocked that alternates like Pittsburgh’s Russell Wilson and New England’s Drake Maye got the nod over Denver rookie quarterback Bo Nix.
Nix was sensational this season with 29 touchdown passes, the second-most ever by a rookie quarterback. That total was more than Wilson’s output and Maye’s output. Plus, Nix’s completion percentage was higher than Wilson’s (66.3% vs. 63.7%) while his yards per game were way higher than Maye’s (222.1 vs. 175.1).
With 34 total touchdowns during the regular season – seventh-most in the NFL – Nix reached the end zone more times than Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels, Patrick Mahomes, and Aaron Rodgers.
This could be a situation where name recognition and draft position came into play. Russell Wilson is a known entity amongst NFL fans and is still seen as an elite quarterback in some circles. At the same time, Drake Maye was an insanely hyped prospect coming out of college who was drafted with the third overall pick.
Running Back – Kyren Williams, Rams
Even though he only played in 16 regular-season games, Kyren Williams found the end zone 16 times. Only four other running backs finished the regular season with more TDs (Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs, Baltimore’s Derrick Henry, Buffalo’s James Cook, and Green Bay’s Josh Jacobs). He also scored more scrimmage touchdowns than Philadelphia’s Saquon Barkley and Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson. It’s worth noting that all of the aforementioned players were named to the 2025 Pro Bowl.
Williams’ yardage was also very impressive. He was sixth in rushing yards per game (81.2) and seventh in total rushing yards (1,299).
Maybe he was hurt by his receiving numbers. He only caught 34 passes during the regular season, which puts him behind 29 other running backs, including backups like Pittsburgh’s Jaylen Warren, Seattle’s Zach Charbonnet, and Las Vegas’ Alexander Mattison.
Regardless of his skills as a pass-catcher, Kyren Williams was one of the best running backs in the NFL this season.
Wide Receiver – Puka Nacua, Rams
Had Nacua not missed six games, he surely would’ve made the Pro Bowl. He proved that by being the third-ranked pass catcher in the NFL (90 yards per game) behind only Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase and Minnesota’s Justin Jefferson.
In 11 starts this year, Nacua receiver caught 79 passes for 990 yards and three touchdowns. Over the span of a full season, that averages out to 122 receptions for 1,530 yards and basically five touchdowns. If Nacua had played in every game, his 122 catches would’ve been the second-most in the NFL this season. Simultaneously, 1,530 receiving yards would have been the third-most yards in the league.
Nacua was one of the most glaring snubs of the 2025 Pro Bowl, but I expect him to make it back to the game soon.
Tight End – Tucker Kraft, Packers
Detroit’s Sam LaPorta has a case to be the biggest tight end snub of the season, but I am giving the honor to Green Bay’s Tucker Kraft.
Firstly, LaPorta had a down year in all major statistical categories including receptions, yards, and touchdowns while Kraft improved his receiving numbers across the board. Also, LaPorta is surrounded by better offensive players than Kraft, which allowed him to expose more weaknesses in opposing defenses. Meanwhile, Kraft often looked like the Packers’ number-one receiving threat in multiple games when that rarely appeared to be the case for LaPorta.
I respect the thinking behind people who voted for Miami’s Jonnu Smith. He was fourth amongst tight ends in receiving yards and tied for second in touchdown receptions, but he was aided by the presence of guys like De’Von Achane and Tyreek Hill. Tucker Kraft did not have that same luxury yet caught only one less TD than Smith.
Offensive Line – Jordan Mailata, Eagles
Mailata wasn’t named a Pro Bowl alternate, but that’s probably because the Eagles are participating in the Super Bowl. If Philly wasn’t playing in the big game, then Mailata would’ve be a clear choice to be a Pro Bowler, or at the very least an alternate.
According to Pro Football Focus’s grading system, Mailata finished the regular season as the highest-graded tackle in the NFL (95.8/100). He was the second-ranked pass-blocking tackle (91.7/100) and the top-ranked run-blocking tackle (94.9/100).
I just can’t wrap my head around the fact that this guy wasn’t even named to the Pro Bowl the first time around. He was the top-graded tackle in the NFL by a wide margin (4.3 points higher than the second-ranked player)!
Jordan Mailata was the biggest Pro Bowl snub of 2025.
Defensive Line – Will Anderson Jr., Texans
Houston’s Will Anderson Jr. set a very high bar for himself as a first-year player by earning a trip to the Pro Bowl and being named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year. That performance put him on the map and forced NFL teams to start game-planning around the young man.
So how did Will Anderson Jr. respond to this newfound attention from linemen and offensive coordinators? He increased his sack total to 11 from seven despite playing in one less game than he did last year. He also finished this season with six more tackles for loss than he did as a rookie.
It’s possible he was overshadowed by teammate and Pro Bowl alternate Danielle Hunter, who had one more sack than Anderson Jr. But if you watched the Texans in the playoffs, it was clear that Will Anderson Jr. deserved to be a Pro Bowler after he recorded 3.5 sacks in just two games (tied with Washington’s Dorance Amstrong for the second-most this postseason).
Linebacker – Robert Spillane, Raiders
All the numbers show that Robert Spillane should have made the Pro Bowl, but Las Vegas’ terrible record caused fans not to tune in to Raiders games this season. Had they actually watched Vegas play, Spillane would’ve jumped off the screen at them.
He had the third-most total tackles in the league this season behind only Indianapolis’ Zaire Franklin and Arizona’s Budda Baker, both of who were selected to the Pro Bowl. Spillane was also sixth in solo tackles with 91. Additionally, he made his presence felt in the passing game with seven passes defended and two interceptions.
Granted, Spillane’s forced fumble and fumble recovery numbers weren’t great, but recovering fumbles takes just as much luck as it does skill. You really just need the ball to bounce your way.
Had Robert Spillane actually forced a fumble or two during the 2024-25 campaign, then he would have been looked at more seriously as a Pro Bowler.
Cornerback – Alontae Taylor, Saints
Though the interception numbers aren’t there, Alontae Taylor was an excellent all-around defender at the cornerback position.
He had 16 passes defended this year, more than Pro Bowlers Marlon Humphrey and Byron Murphy Jr. He had 89 total tackles during the season, the fourth-most amongst all cornerbacks in the league. What’s most impressive was the fact that he recorded four sacks, the most amongst cornerbacks. To top it all off, he forced two fumbles.
As one of New Orleans’ two starting corners, he had the unfortunate task of having to cover guys like Washington’s Terry McLaurin, Puka Nacua, New York’s Malik Nabers, Philadelphia’s A.J. Brown, the list goes on and on. Those matchup disadvantages probably explain why he finished the season without an interception. However, if you can look past the INTs, you get a clear image of a third-year player who is emerging as one of the league’s best all-around defenders.
Safety – Kerby Joseph, Lions
The Pro Bowl has traditionally been a popularity contest, which justifies why Kerby Joseph didn’t earn an invite to the game. After all, he has been labeled as a “dirty” player by not just fans but other NFLers. But even with this negative perception, it is ridiculous that Joseph didn’t get a Pro Bowl invite.
He finished the season with the most interceptions in the league (nine). He’s the first defensive back to not be elected to the Pro Bowl despite leading the league in INTs since 2022.
He also had 12 passes defended, tied for the second-most amongst all safeties in the NFL.
Kerby Joseph is an incredibly talented player who has already caught 17 interceptions since entering the league three years ago. But he will need to shake off the “dirty” label if he wants to avoid future Pro Bow snubbings.
