The Detroit Lions have added another Pro Bowler for this year, with quarterback Jared Goff now headed to Vegas for this weekend’s events.
As players bow out or are rendered inegible because their teams made it to the Super Bowl, the final 2023 Pro Bowl rosters are being shaped. The Detroit Lions added two Pro Bowlers based on the Philadelphia Eagles making the Super Bowl, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and right tackle Penei Sewell.
Tuesday, the NFL announced Lions quarterback Jared Goff will replace Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts on the NFC Pro Bowl roster.
Goff had a nice 2022 season, finishing in the top-10 of the league in passing yards (4,438; sixth), yards per attempt (7.56; seventh), touchdowns (29; fifth), passer rating (99.3; seventh) and interception percentage (1.2; second). From Week 12 on, Pro Football Focus had him as the fifth-highest graded quarterback in the league, and he’ll go into next season with an interceptionless streak of 324 pass attempts.
This will be Goff’s third career Pro Bowl selection in seven NFL seasons. He is the second Lions quarterback (Matthew Stafford–2014) to be a Pro Bowler since 1971.
Detroit Lions now have four 2023 Pro Bowlers
Center Frank Ragnow was the only Lion initially selected for the Pro Bowl this year, and he’ll now be joined by St. Brown, Sewell and Goff. Goff was the third alternate at quarterback for the NFC, but he’ll make the trip to Vegas.
The last time the Lions sent four offensive players to the Pro Bowl the same year was 1971, when tight end Charlie Sanders, quarterback Greg Landry, fullback Steve Owens and center Ed Flanagan were elected.
Goff stepped up and locked himself in as the Lions starting quarterback for next season with his performance this season. While the Pro Bowl will be turned into events that aren’t football in pads, rightfully so given how it had deteriorated as “real” football, it’s still a nice honor to get.