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NFL Names Six Colts As Pro Bowl Alternates

One day after landing a league-high seven players in the 2022 Pro Bowl, the NFL added more Indianapolis Colts to the all-star roster as alternates, showing once again how deep and talented the Colts' roster is. (Video via Indianapolis Colts YouTube)

Josh Carney

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Just one day after seven players were named to the 2022 Pro Bowl, the Indianapolis Colts saw another six players named to the all-star game as alternates, showing off once again the depth and overall talent on hand in Indianapolis. 

On Thursday, another six Colts were named as Pro Bowl alternates, joining the likes of linebacker Darius Leonard, defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, cornerback Kenny Moore II, running back Jonathan Taylor, left guard Quenton Nelson, center Ryan Kelly, and long snapper Luke Rhodes. 

Special teams ace and emerging wide receiver Ashton Dulin led the charge for the Colts as a Pro Bowl alternate, as announced by the league on Thursday night. Joining Dulin as alternates are punt returner Nyheim Hines, inside linebacker Bobby Okereke, wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., cornerback Xavier Rhodes and quarterback Carson Wentz, the league announced. 

Of the six, the most deserving is Dulin, who leads league with an impressive 16 special teams tackles. The core special teams player also enters the Week 16 matchup on Christmas Day with the Arizona Cardinals sporting the highest Pro Football Focus special teams grade (91.0) of any regular special teams player this season.

In fact, Dulin is one of 13 players since at least 1987 to have 15+ tackles, 10+ receptions and 2+ touchdowns in a single season, and the first since the Chargers' Austin Ekeler in 2017, according to Pro Football Reference. 

Hines is one of the top punt returners in the NFL year after year and is averaging 7.4 yards per punt return this season. However, he does have a pair of muffs this season, which makes his selection as an alternate for 2022 interesting. 

As for Wentz, the quarterback has been mostly solid in his time in Indianapolis, shaking off a disastrous 2020 season with the Philadelphia Eagles to put up similar numbers to his 2018 numbers when he was considered one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, which was one year after his Pro Bowl season of 2017, in which he was an MVP candidate. 

Pittman earns his first Pro Bowl alternate honor thanks to a superb breakout season in his second season in the league. The second-year pro leads the Colts in receiving yards with 889 and receiving touchdowns with five in a mostly-limited passing attack. How good has Pittman been this season for the Colts? Only eight players have more receptions on third down than Pittman with 23,, and his 354 receiving yards on third down ranks fifth.

Defensively, Rhodes has come on strong as of late for the Colts, posting a 60.7 passer rating against in the last four weeks, while Okereke leads the Colts in tackles with 110 total in 878 snaps on the season and is coming off of a spectacular game against the New England Patriots. 

The 2022 Pro Bowl is scheduled to be played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Feb. 6, 2022. 

Have thoughts on the six Colts named as Pro Bowl alternates? Drop a line in the comments section below letting us know how you feel! 

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Josh Carney
JOSH CARNEY

Josh Carney is the Deputy Editor of Horseshoe Huddle and has covered the NFL for nearly a decade. 

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