Quarterbacks Brock Purdy and Tua Tagovailoa have been named as the starting quarterbacks for their respective conferences in the Pro Bowl, marking their first selections for this honor.
Brock Purdy is the first San Francisco 49ers quarterback to make it to the Pro Bowl since Jeff Garcia in 2002. On the other hand, Tua Tagovailoa breaks a long drought for the Miami Dolphins, becoming the first Dolphins quarterback selected for the Pro Bowl since Dan Marino in 1995.
This selection of first-time starting quarterbacks parallels the 1999 season when Peyton Manning and Kurt Warner, now Pro Football Hall of Famers, were chosen.
Purdy is among nine players selected from the San Francisco 49ers, who secured the NFC’s No. 1 seed. The other 49ers players include Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave, Kyle Juszczyk, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Charvarius Ward, Fred Warner, and Trent Williams. The 49ers lead in the number of players selected, with Baltimore and Dallas following closely, each having seven Pro Bowl players.
Several players have been selected to the Pro Bowl from different teams:
From the Ravens (AFC’s No. 1 seed): Lamar Jackson (QB), Kyle Hamilton (S), Tyler Linderbaum (C), Justin Madubuike (DT), Patrick Queen (LB), Roquan Smith (LB), and Justin Tucker (K).
From the Cowboys (NFC East title contenders): Dak Prescott (QB), Bryan Anger (P), Brandon Aubrey (K), DaRon Bland (CB), CeeDee Lamb (WR), Zack Martin (G), and Micah Parsons (Edge).
Other first-year selections in the NFC besides Brock Purdy include Rams rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua, Lions rookie tight end Sam LaPorta, Eagles running back D’Andre Swift, Rams running back Kyren Williams, Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson, Bears edge rusher Montez Sweat, Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson, Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon, Falcons safety Jessie Bates III, Seahawks safety Julian Love, Ward, Bland, Aubrey, Saints return specialist Rashid Shaheed, and Lions special teamer Jalen Reeves-Maybin.
Other first-year selections in the AFC besides Tua Tagovailoa include Browns tight end David Njoku, Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert, Bills running back James Cook, Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold, Linderbaum, Madubuike, Queen, Hamilton, Broncos return specialist Marvin Mims Jr., Steelers special-teamer Miles Killebrew, and Jaguars long-snapper Ross Matiscik.
Notable veteran selections include Patrick Mahomes as the AFC’s third quarterback and Matthew Stafford as the NFC’s third quarterback. Trent Williams is making his 11th Pro Bowl appearance, the most among the players chosen. Other veterans with significant Pro Bowl experience include Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (10th time), Zack Martin, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, and Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner (all nine-time Pro Bowl picks), as well as Juszczyk and Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (both going for the eighth time). A total of 28 teams had at least one player selected, with 21 clubs having multiple players chosen.