If you thought Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford would be upset about not being selected to the Pro Bowl, well you thought wrong.
“I don’t know, and I don’t care,” Stafford said today when asked why he thought he was overlooked to represent the NFC in the NFL’s All-Star Game.
Three quarterbacks from each league are selected to the Pro Bowl. The NFC’s three quarterback representatives are Matt Ryan of the Atlanta Falcons, Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers and Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys. It would be difficult to argue against any of those three to be chosen for the NFC roster, although Stafford had been having a very good season as well.
So why didn’t Stafford make the cut? Stafford asked one question worth reviewing.
Matthew Stafford, on the Pro Bowl being a popularity contest: "Am I unlikeable? Is that the problem?"
— kyle meinke (@kmeinke) December 22, 2016
Regardless of why Stafford did not make the Pro Bowl cut, there is still a decent chance he will end up playing in the Pro Bowl anyway. It is likely one of two things will happen to open up a spot on the roster.Either one of the three Pro Bowl quarterbacks will be removed on the Pro Bowl due to playing in the Super Bowl the following week, or at least one quarterback will simply decide to sit out of the Pro Bowl (which is not nearly as controversial as a college player skipping out on a bowl game, for some reason).
Stafford made the 2014 Pro Bowl, but since being the No. 1 overall pick of the Lions in 2009, that remains his only Pro Bowl appearance to date. Stafford was called up to the Pro Bowl as an alternate for an injured Peyton Manning. Stafford made the most of the opportunity, earning Pro Bowl Offensive MVP honors after passing for 316 yards and two touchdowns.
