Like any All-Star selection process in any sport, Pro Bowl voting has flaws and with limited spots available there are always multiple snubs. The 2025 Pro Bowl Games rosters were announced on Thursday, and the Detroit Lions are well-represented on the NFC squad with a conference-high seven selections. The results of the fan portion of the voting foreshadowed that.
Here are the franchise record-tying seven Lions who were voted to the NFC Pro Bowl roster this year. Two are first-timers.
- QB Jared Goff (fourth career Pro Bowl selection)
- RB Jahmyr Gibbs (first career selection)
- WR Amon-Ra St. Brown (third career selection)
- OT Penei Sewell (third career selection)
- C Frank Ragnow (fourth career selection)
- S Brian Branch (first career selection)
- P Jack Fox (second career selection
Goff, St. Brown, Sewell, Ragnow and Fox were voted as starters.
An eye-opening 11 Lions were selected as Pro Bowl alternates. 17 of the 19 Lions' players who were top-five at their position in the fan portion of the voting are at least an alternate.
- TE Sam LaPorta (first alternate)
- KR Kalif Raymond (first alternate)
- K Jake Bates (second alternate)
- S Kerby Joseph (second alternate)
- OG Kevin Zeitler (third alternate)
- IDL Alim McNeill (third alternate)
- RB David Montgomery (thrd alternate)
- OT Taylor Decker (third alternate)
- OG Graham Glasgow (fourth alternate)
- LB Jack Campbell (fourth alternate)
- IDL DJ Reader (seventh alternate)
Any players on the Super Bowl teams who were selected to the Pro Bowl Games of course won't be participating, and there are always players who decide not to participate (even with the "games" format") after a deep playoff run and/or because they've been nursing an injury. So alternates are necessary, but going seven deep with them at any position is ridiculous--and that's not a knock on Reader.
Joseph not being an original ballot Pro Bowl selection is an obvious egregious snub that noticeably impacts his 2025 salary too. His not even being the first NFC alternate at safety adds to the overall lameness of the process.
During his press conference on Thursday, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn hinted at knowing why Joseph was snubbed. As Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press noted, Glenn seemed to be pointing to how some people think Joseph is a dirty player.
Aaron Glenn on why Kerby Joseph was passed over for the Pro Bowl: I think we all know why. The inference, of course, is that people think Joseph is a dirty player and the reputation is what kept him off the team. https://t.co/DmvrJyKqMm via @freep
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) January 2, 2025
Of course no one will care how many Lions have been selected to the Pro Bowl, who was snubbed, etc. if they go to the Super Bowl. But having so many Pro Bowlers, as it is every year, is a reflection of being one of the best teams in the league,