Eagles lead NFL with eight players in Pro Bowl Games

The NFL-leading Philadelphia Eagles had a league-best eight players, including quarterback Jalen Hurts, selected for the first Pro Bowl Games.

The league announced rosters for the NFC and AFC on Wednesday. Players from both conferences will compete in weeklong skills competitions culminated with a flag football game on Sunday, February 5, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The NFL eliminated its full-contact all-star game in September.

Kansas City and Dallas each had seven players chosen for the Games. San Francisco and Baltimore are next with six. Only two teams — Jacksonville and Chicago — aren’t represented on the initial rosters.

Joining Hurts from the Eagles (13-1) are wide receiver A.J. Brown, running back Miles Sanders, right tackle Lane Johnson, center Jason Kelce, left guard Landon Dickerson, linebacker Haason Reddick and cornerback Darius Slay. Hurts, Sanders, Dickerson and Reddick are first-timers. It’s Kelce’s sixth, Slay’s fifth and Johnson’s fourth. Sanders and Reddick were selected as backups.

Follow every game: Latest NFL Scores and Schedules

Patrick Mahomes is the AFC’s starting quarterback. Josh Allen and Joe Burrow are his backups. Kirk Cousins and Geno Smith are backing up Hurts.

Smith is a first-time pick in his 10th season in the NFL. He’s the first quarterback since Rich Gannon (1999) to earn his first Pro Bowl selection in Year 10 or later of his career.

Trent Williams, the 49ers’ left tackle, was chosen for the 10th time. Aaron Donald became the first defensive lineman to make the Pro Bowl in each of his first nine seasons. He’s the only representative from the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angels Rams (4-10).

Miami’s Tyreek Hill was selected to his seventh consecutive Pro Bowl, joining A.J. Green as the only wide receivers to earn Pro Bowl honors in each of their first seven seasons.

Twenty-five of the 88 players selected are first-timers, including rookie cornerbacks Sauce Gardner of the New York Jets and Tariq Woolen of the Seattle Seahawks. It’s the second time two rookie cornerbacks made the initial Pro Bowl roster. The first occurred in 1982 when Pro Football Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott and Everson Walls made it.

Saquon Barkley is the NFC’s starting running back. Sanders and Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard are the backups. Nick Chubb is the AFC’s starting running back. Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs back him up.

The NFC’s starting wideouts are Brown and Justin Jefferson. CeeDee Lamb and Terry McLaurin also made the squad. The AFC’s starting receivers are Hill and Stefon Diggs.

Davante Adams and Ja’Marr Chase also made the roster.

George Kittle starts at tight end for the NFC and T.J. Hockenson made the team after a midseason trade from Detroit to Minnesota.

AFC starting tight end Travis Kelce made the team for the eighth time. Mark Andrews backs him up.

The roster selections were determined by the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches.

Each group’s vote counted one-third toward determining the teams. The NFL is the only sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches and players to determine its all-stars. It was also the first professional sports league to offer online all-star voting in 1995.

Peyton Manning will coach the AFC team while Eli Manning guides the NFC. Ray Lewis serves as the defensive coordinator for the AFC. DeMarcus Ware handles the role for the NFC.

International Flag football stars Vanita Krouch and Diana Flores were named as offensive coordinators.

The AFC and NFC will start off with five skills competitions on Feb. 2. On Sunday, there will be three flag football games and three additional skills competitions between the two conferences.

The winner of each skills competition earns three points for his conference. There are eight total skills competitions worth a total of 24 available points.

The winner of each of the first two flag games earns six points for his conference. The first two flag games are worth a total of 12 available points.

Points from the eight skills competitions and first two flag games are added together and that will be the score at the beginning of the third and final flag game. The third flag game will determine the overall winner of the Pro Bowl Games.

The flag games will feature a traditional AFC vs. NFC matchup with 27 skill position players available from the full roster for each conference.

Each team will also have one center available on their roster. The game will be played 7 on 7.

Each game will be 20 minutes in length, with two, 10-minute halves on a 50-yard field with two 10-yard end zones.

Touchdowns are worth six points. There are two different options for post-touchdown conversions: 1-point conversion from the 3-yard line and 2-point conversion from the 10-yard line. Safeties and returned 1- or 2-point conversion attempts are worth 2 points.

Here are the AFC and NFC rosters:

2023 AFC Pro Bowl Games roster 

* Starter

OFFENSE

Quarterback 

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs*

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

Running back

Nick Chubb, Cleveland Browns*

Josh Jacobs, Las Vegas Raiders

Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans

Fullback 

Patrick Ricard, Baltimore Ravens*

Wide receiver 

Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins*

Stefon Diggs, Buffalo Bills*

Davante Adams, Las Vegas Raiders

Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

Tight end

Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs*

Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens

Offensive tackle 

Laremy Tunsil, Houston Texans*

Terron Armstead, Miami Dolphins*

Orlando Brown, Kansas City Chiefs

Offensive guard

Joel Bitonio, Cleveland Browns*

Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis Colts*

Joe Thuney, Kansas City Chiefs

Center 

Creed Humphrey, Kansas City Chiefs*

Mitch Morse, Buffalo Bills

DEFENSE

Defensive end 

Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns*

Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders*

Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati Bengals

Interior linemen 

Chris Jones, Kanas City Chiefs*

Quinnen Williams, New York Jets*

Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee Titans

Outside linebacker 

Matt Judon, New England Patriots*

Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Chargers*

T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers

Inside/middle linebacker 

Roquan Smith, Baltimore Ravens*

C.J. Mosley, New York Jets

Cornerback 

Sauce Gardner, New York Jets*

Pat Surtain II, Denver Broncos*

Marlon Humphrey, Baltimore Ravens

Xavien Howard, Miami Dolphins

Free safety 

Minkah Fitzpatrick, Pittsburgh Steelers*

Strong safety 

Derwin James, Los Angeles Chargers*

Jordan Poyer, Buffalo Bills

SPECIAL TEAMS

Long snapper 

Morgan Cox, Tennessee Titans*

Punter 

Tommy Townsend, Kansas City Chiefs*

Placekicker 

Justin Tucker, Baltimore Ravens*

Return specialist 

Devin Duvernay, Baltimore Ravens*

Special teamer 

Justin Hardee, New York Jets*

2023 NFC Pro Bowl Games roster

* Starter

OFFENSE

Quarterback 

Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles*

Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks

Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings

Running back 

Saquon Barkley, New York Giants*

Tony Pollard, Dallas Cowboys

Miles Sanders, Philadelphia Eagles

Fullback 

Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco 49ers*

Wide receiver 

Justin Jefferson, Minnesota Vikings*

A.J. Brown, Philadelphia Eagles*

CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys

Terry McLaurin, Washington Commanders

Tight end 

George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers*

T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings

Offensive tackle 

Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers*

Lane Johnson, Philadelphia Eagles*

Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Offensive guard 

Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys*

Landon Dickerson, Philadelphia Eagles*

Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta Falcons

Center 

Jason Kelce, Philadelphia Eagles*

Frank Ragnow, Detroit Lions

DEFENSE

Defensive end 

Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers*

Brian Burns, Carolina Panthers*

Demarcus Lawrence, Dallas Cowboys

Interior linemen 

Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams*

Jonathan Allen, Washington Commanders*

Dexter Lawrence, New York Giants

Outside linebacker 

Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys*

Za’Darius Smith, Minnesota Vikings*

Haason Reddick, Philadelphia Eagles

Inside/middle linebacker 

Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers*

Demario Davis, New Orleans Saints

Cornerback 

Darius Slay, Philadelphia Eagles*

Trevon Diggs, Dallas Cowboys*

Tariq Woolen, Seattle Seahawks

Jaire Alexander, Green Bay Packers

Free safety 

Quandre Diggs, Seattle Seahawks*

Strong safety 

Budda Baker, Arizona Cardinals*

Talanoa Hufanga, San Francisco 49ers

SPECIAL TEAMS

Long snapper 

Andrew DePaola, Minnesota Vikings*

Punter 

Tress Way, Washington Commanders*

Placekicker 

Jason Myers, Seattle Seahawks*

Return specialist

KaVontae Turpin, Dallas Cowboys*

Special teamer 

Jeremy Reaves, Washington Commanders*

This post appeared first on USA TODAY