Vic Fangio 'Very Disappointed' no Broncos Voted to 2022 Pro Bowl
The plight of a losing team is that individual accolades are hard to come by for the players. The Denver Broncos have shown improvement in the standings this year, currently hovering at .500, but being boring is arguably just as bad as being a losing team when it comes to individual honors.
That fact was hammered home on Wednesday evening when the NFL unveiled the 2022 Pro Bowl rosters and not one Bronco was on it. On Thursday, head coach Vic Fangio shared his disappointment at presiding over a club that was completely snubbed in the league's all-star festivities.
“Yeah, I was. I was very, very surprised and disappointed," Fangio said. "I think [S] Justin Simmons—I think I told you guys yesterday—it was a no-brainer. He made it last year and he’s playing even better this year. I think [CB Pat] Surtain [II] was more than worthy of it, and our two [running] backs. We did have five guys make the alternate list, but [I was] very, very surprised.”
According to reports, Simmons, left tackle Garett Bolles, and rookie cornerback Patrick Surtain II are listed as first alternates. That means that these players would only get the Pro Bowl nod if a guy at their position bows out due to injury or because he's playing in the Super Bowl.
If someone bows out and, say, Simmons gets in, it'll count as a Pro Bowl selection on his NFL resume. Alas, if no one does bow out, there is no accolade for being a Pro Bowl first alternate.
The Denver Post's Ryan O'Halloran reported that the Broncos have three other alternates lower on the pecking order: outside linebacker Bradley Chubb (third), rookie running back Javonte Williams (sixth), safety Kareem Jackson (sixth). Suffice to say, the odds of any of those three getting in are slim.
It's a shock that Chubb's name even came up in the Pro Bowl voting among NFL players and coaches because he missed most of the season and hasn't been very impactful as a rush linebacker since returning to the field.
Looking at which players are ahead of the first alternates, there's a good chance all three could end up playing in the Pro Bowl (if the NFL actually plays the game this year thanks to the pandemic). But if this triumvirate's fate is to miss the Pro Bowl, there's always the A.P.'s All-Pro team.
Bolles was snubbed from Pro Bowl voting last year, despite producing arguably the best individual left tackle performance in the NFL, but was somewhat vindicated when he garnered second-team All-Pro honors. The same thing happened to Simmons the year prior.
Fangio believes Simmons showed big improvement this year after earning Pro Bowl honors in 2020. I'm not sure I'd concur because Simmons started very slow this season before really turning the ship around with gusto. He leads the team with five interceptions which also ties him fourth for the most in the NFL.
“I think just a little bit of everything," Fangio said of Simmons' improvements. "I don’t think he’s a safety with a weakness that [he] has to truly get better at. [He] just [needs to] keep honing his craft and getting a little better everywhere.”
Again, as disappointing as it is to not see one Bronco voted to the Pro Bowl, it's sadly a sign of the times.
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