Surprise Selection: Patriots Player Voted All-Pro
New England Patriots special teamer Brendan Schooler has been significantly recognized by his peers as one of the premier players at his position.
Schooler was named, on Wednesday, to the 2023 National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) All Pro team for his contributions as a core special teamer. Unlike the Associated Press (AP) All Pro designation, the NFLPA is comprised exclusively from the votes of players.
The Pats second-year gunner appeared in all 17 games for the team in his second season, aligning on 89 percent of their special teams snaps. He finished the campaign tied for the NFL lead with 13 special teams tackles. His 2023 highlight came during the Pats Week 2 matchup against the Miami Dolphins in which he used his pre-snap speed to bypass the opposing protection unit en route to blocking Dolphins’ kicker Jason Sanders’ 49-yard field goal attempt.
Having originally joined the Patriots as an undrafted rookie out of Texas in 2022, Schooler compiled 14 tackles and two fumble recoveries while recovering a blocked punt against the Indianapolis Colts in his first season with the club. For his efforts, Schooler earned PFWA All-Rookie honors.
With the expected retirement of team captain Matthew Slater, Schooler expects to factor significantly into the Pats plans in the game’s third phase for 2024 and beyond. Thorough his first two seasons in New England, Schooler has worked closely with Slater, both on refining his craft and learning the nuances of being a core special teamer at the pro level.
Schooler and the Patriots special teams unit will clearly face a tough task next season in attempting to resurrect a unit which ranked 28 No. 28 in DVOA the NFL in 2023. Still, being recognized by his fellow NFL players for his prowess on the field indicates that with continued hard work and improvement he is likely to be mentioned among the best special teams gunners in the NFL.
