Aaron Rodgers, Justin Herbert headline long list of former Pac-12 stars named to NFL Pro Bowl
The has NFL revealed rosters for the 2022 NFL Pro Bowl.
This season’s Pro Bowl is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 6, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas (ABC/ESPN). Of course, this list is subject to change as the Super Bowl teams are decided and injuries force hands, but as things stand, 11 former Pac-12 players will represent their pro clubs at the Pro Bowl.
Both the AFC and NFC teams this season will be led by former Pac-12 quarterbacks: Aaron Rodgers in the NFC and Justin Herbert in the AFC.
After flirting with the thought of leaving the only team he’s played for in his career this offseason, Rodgers, the Packers’ quarterback, is in the midst of one of the best seasons of his career this year. Even at the age of 38, he is firmly in the hunt to repeat as the NFL’s MVP. His touchdown-interception ratio (7.5) ranks atop the league, as does his 110.4 passer rating. Despite missing one game after a COVID-19 diagnosis and playing on a broken toe for more than a month, he ranks fifth in touchdown throws (30) and seventh in completion rate (67.8%).
Herbert, a full-blown star already in just his second season with the LA Chargers, will start for the AFC. Surprise, surprise.
Herbert already owns the NFL record for passing yards by a quarterback through his first two seasons, and earlier this year he became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw 30 touchdown passes in each of his first two seasons. Herbert has 4,058 yards (fourth in the NFL) and 32 scores (third) in his sophomore campaign.
He is just the seventh quarterback to be selected as the starter for a Pro Bowl in their first two pro seasons. The club he joins in that regard is filled with some elite names: Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Carson Wentz, Peyton Manning, Kurt Warner, Dan Marino, and Pat Haden.
The former Oregon standout has the Chargers (8-6) in the race for the Playoffs. Though a divisional title is most-likely out of reach, the Chargers can surely help their playoff positioning down the stretch.
In total, six of the Pac-12’s member programs are represented in the Pro Bowl rosters. Cal leads the way with four former players on the team. Oregon and UCLA each have a pair of representatives. Utah, Washington, and USC each also have a former player on the rosters.
Here are the Pac-12 alums who will represent the AFC:
- QB Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers, Oregon)
- WR Keenan Allen (Los Angeles Chargers, Cal)
- DL DeForest Buckner (Indianapolis Colts, Oregon)
- ST Matthew Slater (New England Patriots, UCLA)
And from the NFC:
- QB Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers, Cal)
- OL Tyron Smith (Dallas Cowboys, USC)
- DL Kenny Clark (Green Bay Packers, UCLA)
- DL Cam Jordan (New Orleans Saints, Cal)
- S Budda Baker (Arizona Cardinals, Washington)
- K Matt Gay (Los Angeles Rams, Utah)
- P Bryan Anger (Dallas Cowboys, Cal)