It’s been a long road, but the voting for the Pro Bowl is finally over. For the Eagles however, the festivities are only just beginning. Six members of the Eagles organization have been selected to represent the team in the traditional game that will be hosted in Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL on January 28th.
Those six players are as follows:
DT Fletcher Cox (3rd Pro Bowl selection)
S Malcolm Jenkins (2nd Pro Bowl selection)
TE Zach Ertz (1st Pro Bowl selection)
G Brandon Brooks (1st Pro Bowl selection)
T Lane Johnson (1st Pro Bowl selection)
QB Carson Wentz (1st Pro Bowl selection)
Obviously the main outlier here is Carson Wentz. The future of the franchise went down with a heartbreaking ACL tear that cut his season short during a clash with the L.A. Rams, but that didn’t stop fans from overpowering the votes. Naturally, an alternate will take his place, but Wentz was selected to his first Pro Bowl in just his second season, which is a monumental achievement…and a deserving one too. Wentz lit up the NFL in his sophomore campaign, torching defenses and scoring a stunning franchise-record 33 passing touchdowns through 13 games.
One more player named to his first Pro Bowl appearance is tight end Zach Ertz. The 27-year old is the first Eagles tight end to be selected for the event since Chad Lewis in 2001-03. Among NFL tight ends this season, Ertz is tied for second in receiving touchdowns and ranks fourth in receiving yards.
Two of the most deserving players sit on the offensive line. Brandon Brooks and Lane Johnson have been incredible this season and helped the Eagles pave the way to become the NFC’s leading rushing attack (140.5 yards per game) this season.
The final two players shouldn’t come as a surprise. Fletcher Cox, 27, has been selected to the Pro Bowl for a third-consecutive season. His stunning year means he now has the second-most sacks (34.0) ever by an Eagles interior defensive lineman. Jenkins, 29, has received his second nod as an Eagle after being snubbed last year. Leading the team in tackles, Jenkins has been a one-man wrecking crew this year and the heartbreat of the defense.
You can watch five of the six Eagles on action on January 28th, but for the Eagles, it’s all about winning games.
“It’s rewarding.” Ertz said about being named to the prestigious game. “I think any person wants to see the ‘hard work’ pay off, but at the end of the day I’ve had catches and yards and touchdowns before but I’ve never had a team like this. The ultimate goal is to win football games in this league. If you don’t win, nothing really matters. That’s what’s been so rewarding this year. I’ve been a really big contributor on a really good football team. I think that whole process has been really fulfilling.”
Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
