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, twelve deputies are from San Francisco.
The NFC Pro Bowl quarterbacks also include Dallas Cowboys starter Dak Prescott and Los Angeles Rams veteran Matthew Stafford, while the AFC features Miami Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa, Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson and QB Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs can boast. 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 straight year that Baltimore has had seven Pro Bowl players.
Players were selected through consensus votes from fans, players and coaches. The 49ers also dominated fan voting: Purdy – the first 49ers Pro Bowl QB since Jeff Garcia in 2002 – received 451,864 votes, McCaffrey 429,993 and George Kittle 373,750. Tagovailoa received 414,502 fan votes and Chiefs TE Travis Kelce received 327,263, rounding out the top five fan votes.
The NFL moved to a new format for its Pro Bowl for the 2023 season, switching from a tackle football game to skills competitions and other events, culminating in a flag football game between the AFC and the NFC. This format will continue for a second year in 2024, with the Pro Bowl Games taking place on February 4 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
The Manning brothers Peyton and Eli will return as coaches of the AFC and NFC teams for the 2024 event.
Other Pro Bowl selections:
Running backs and fullbacks
NFC
AFC
Wide receiver
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
Have QBs been snubbed?
Purdy and Prescott make sense for the NFC. But Stafford over Goff? The Lions starter – who transferred to Stafford two years ago – has slightly better numbers AND a better record this season. The AFC's picks — Tagovailoa, Mahomes and Jackson — are a given. Could Josh Allen have beaten Mahomes if the Bills hadn't struggled all year? OR…Given the Chiefs' struggles, could CJ Stroud have prevailed over Mahomes if the rookie hadn't gotten injured? – Mike Jones, senior NFL 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 against including Evans and Nacua as reserves. But it could certainly be argued that highly productive wideouts Amon-Ra St. Brown, DJ Moore and Aiyuk deserved to make the team. But who do you exchange both for? Evans is the only one with fewer than 1,300 starts entering Week 18, but he also has more touchdown catches (13) than anyone else. In the AFC, you could make a case 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
At least none here. All six selections have surpassed the 1,000-yard mark this season and feature versatility and the ability to contribute in the passing game. –Jones
In the AFC, Quincy Williams of the Jets should have made the cut after recording 131 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and one interception. But New York's lack of success likely cost him.
The NFC leaving out Tampa Bay's Antoine Winfield Jr. is strange. He certainly had a more productive campaign than Baker in Arizona. –Jones
From humble beginnings to the 49ers' linchpin
The 49ers had nine Pro Bowlers, the most in the league, the most since their 2013 squad lost to the Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game. This year's selection includes Purdy and Ward, two first-teamers who stand out for their humble beginnings in the NFL.
Purdy, of course, was the final pick in 2022, leading all starting quarterbacks in passer rating in his second season and setting the 49ers franchise record for passing yards in a season with 4,280 on Sunday.
Ward, on the other hand, went undrafted by Middle Tennessee State in 2018. He had a sensational second half of the season in 2023, including shutting out Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf in Week 12 and returning an interception 66 yards for a touchdown against the Cardinals three weeks later. Perhaps most impressive is the fact that Ward has only given up two touchdowns in 16 games. Opposing quarterbacks have a passer rating of 56.8 when targeting him.
One player who has been overlooked: Aiyuk, who has already set a career high with 1,317 receiving yards and leads the league with an 18.3 yards per catch average. – Matt Barrows, 49ers beat writer
Required reading
(Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)