Tampa Bay Buccaneers' All-Pro Canidate Ridiculously Snubbed From Pro Bowl

Buccaneers’ safety Antoine Winfield Jr. is snubbed from the 2024 Pro Bowl games and joins three other Tampa Bay players as alternates.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ safety Antoine Winfield Jr. has played out of his mind this season on his way to not only the best performance of his career, but one of the best by a safety in NFL history. However, apparently being the best safety in the league doesn’t mean much anymore as Tweeze was excluded from being named to the NFL’s Pro Bowl games this season - getting beat out by Falcons’ Jessie Bates, Cardinals’ Budda Baker, and Seahawks’ Julian Love.

On the season, AWJ has compiled 117 total tackles, 5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries and 3 interceptions. Now the case can be made for Atlanta’s Jessie Bates, but when you look at how Winfield Jr. matches up against the second guy on the list, Budda Baker, it becomes clear that the NFL’s Pro Bowl has become more of a popularity contest rather than placing the best players at their position in.

Arizona's Budda Baker made the Pro Bowl as an NFC safety ahead of Antoine Winfield.

Baker: 0 INT, 0 FF, 0 FR, 0 sacks
Winfield: 3 INT, 5 FF, 4 FR, 5 sacks

— Greg Auman (@gregauman) January 4, 2024

Pretty telling.

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Either way, despite the fact that he is getting snubbed from the 2024 Pro Bowl, Winfield Jr.’s special season will not be taken away from him as he will still hold one of the top spots to be named an All-Pro - a much higher accomplishment when it comes to prestigious awards in the NFL.

For the Buccaneers, WR Mike Evans was the only player elected to the Pro Bowl, while S AWJ will join fellow Bucs OT Tristan Wirfs, QB Baker Mayfield, and NT Vita Vea as alternates - players who will only participate in the Pro Bowl games due to players opting out due to making the Super Bowl.

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