New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez earned his first career Pro Bowl honor on Tuesday, while quarterback Drake Maye secured his second straight nod in as many years.
Maye was the overall leader in the fan vote up until the final hours, before Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce passed the North Carolina product.
Patriots cornerback/punt returner extraordinaire Marcus Jones, on the other hand, was a surprising omission.
Despite being tied for the NFL lead with two punt return touchdowns this year (while adding three interceptions and three fumble recoveries), Jones wasn’t among the Pro Bowl honorees revealed on Tuesday.
The AFC Defensive Player of the Month for October said he was disappointed but has a bigger goal in mind.
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“I was surprised (at not getting in), but I’m happy for everyone that ended up making it,” Jones said, according to MassLive’s Karen Guregian. “That’s a hard accolade to end up having. At the end of the day, I’m more focused on the situation of winning the Super Bowl.”
Tennessee Titans rookie wideout/returner Chimere Dike earned the AFC’s lone return specialist Pro Bowl nod.
Dike leads the NFL in yards per punt return (18.2) and all-purpose yards (2,269), while Jones is second in the former category at 17.3.
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Featured image via Eric Canha/Imagn Images
