Inside The Vikings

Eric Kendricks, Everson Griffen Among Four More Vikings Added as Pro Bowl Replacements

The Vikings are now up to eight Pro Bowlers after replacements were made for the Super Bowl, injuries, and withdrawals.

Will Ragatz

Eric Kendricks, Everson Griffen Among Four More Vikings Added as Pro Bowl Replacements
Eric Kendricks, Everson Griffen Among Four More Vikings Added as Pro Bowl Replacements /

The Vikings had just three Pro Bowlers – Danielle Hunter, Harrison Smith, and Dalvin Cook – when the rosters were initially announced in mid-December, a surprisingly low number for a playoff team that was led by a number of impressive individual performances on both sides of the ball.

A little over a month later, that total is up to eight. News broke on Sunday night that fullback CJ Ham was replacing the 49ers' Kyle Juszczyk, as the latter will be preparing for the Super Bowl. On Tuesday, it was announced that four more Vikings have made the team: Kirk Cousins, Eric Kendricks, Everson Griffen, and Xavier Rhodes.

Two of the four latest additions are long overdue. Back when the initial rosters were announced, I wrote that the snubs of Cousins and Kendricks were indefensible. Cousins is replacing Aaron Rodgers, who withdrew his name presumably due to a lack on interest, but Cousins should've been in over Rodgers all along. And Kendricks, who has a very real case as the best middle linebacker in the NFL, should've been in long ago as well. He's replacing the Seahawks' Bobby Wagner.

Then there are two that don't make a ton of sense. Griffen is replacing Nick Bosa of the 49ers, and Rhodes is in for another 49er, Richard Sherman. Griffen was solid in his tenth NFL season, but it wasn't a campaign that screamed Pro Bowl. And the most egregious selection is that of Rhodes, who instantly becomes one of the worst Pro Bowlers of all time. Rhodes was downright awful in 2019, and his selection is baffling.

Trae Waynes would've made a lot more sense than Rhodes, but even he didn't deserve to be in. Somehow, after all this, safety Anthony Harris still isn't a Pro Bowler. He was the best player in the Vikings' secondary.

Regardless, you can watch these eight Vikings play in the game this Sunday at 2 p.m. central time on ESPN.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

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