Jared Goff is tied with MVP front-runner, Pro Bowler and trade counterpart Matthew Stafford for the league’s lowest interception rate this season. In the 2025 season, Goff was intercepted just five times while ranking second among quarterbacks in the league in passing touchdowns (32).
Through 15 games, he ranks third in passing yards (4,036), fifth in completion percentage (68.6 percent), second in passer rating (109.4) and tied for fifth in EPA per dropback (+0.15), according to Next Gen Stats.
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Goff has done all of this in front of a Detroit Lions offensive line that has taken a step back this season, especially on the inside. However, he may miss the playoffs.
He’s also eyeing the 2026 Pro Bowl roster.
The same goes for division rival Jordan Love, who is tied with Stafford for first place in EPA per drop (+0.20), according to NGS. Like Goff, Love has suffered some heartbreaking losses this season. However, both are ahead of the NFC’s two Pro Bowl quarterbacks in this advanced metric: Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys and Sam Darnold of the Seattle Seahawks, who are tied for seventh (+0.12) and tied for 10th (+0.08), respectively, in EPA per dropback.
Jared Goff and Jordan Love both rank in the top five in EPA putback this season, according to Next Gen Stats. (Photo by Nick Antaya/Getty Images)
(Nick Antaya via Getty Images)
If underlying quarterback numbers are a factor, it’s reasonable to ask why Prescott Begoff and Love received the nod, now that the six-win Cowboys have been eliminated from playoff contention.
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As for Darnold, while he still has a great story, his 24 passing touchdowns are only one more than Love’s 23. Additionally, Darnold threw 13 interceptions while Love only threw six catches.
In other words, Darnold’s interception rate (3.1%) is more than twice as high as Love’s (1.4%). Love completed a franchise-record 20 consecutive passes in a Week 8 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, and his 66.3 percent completion rate was the second-highest of his career.
Both Goff and Love have compelling cases for making the Pro Bowl this year. They are among the most neglected. Yahoo Sports is analyzing others.
[Read: 2026 Pro Bowl rosters announced]
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Who are the other biggest Pro Bowl snubs?
Before proceeding, it’s important to take some notes. The Pro Bowl, which includes a skills contest and a 7-on-7 flag football game, is scheduled for Feb. 3 at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, which will host Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8 at Levi’s Stadium.
Gone are the days of the “real” Pro Bowl game, but regardless, the exhibition game has decomposed into a glorified two-hand touch over the years. Still, Pro Bowl recognition still means something around the league.
That said, it’s not a foolproof measure of player excellence. Pro Bowl rosters are determined not only by votes from coaches and players, but also by fans. Each group accounted for one-third of the consensus vote.
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Standout players who have a decent season occasionally get the All-Star tag because of popularity or lifetime achievement. This is an imperfect system.
Cue the rest of the snub…
Indianapolis Colts TE Tyler Warren: Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowles earned a spot on the AFC roster despite making just eight starts and averaging 13.5 fewer receiving yards than his impressive rookie season. Bowles is a hunk, but Warren’s production this year is even more impressive. He caught 66 passes for 748 yards and four touchdowns. Per NGS, he ranks second among all tight ends after the catch this season (467 yards), trailing only Arizona Cardinals star Trey McBride (520 yards). Oh, and he was eager to score, and according to Pro Football Focus, he had three tackles at quarterback.
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave: It’s hard to argue with the NFC Pro Bowl receivers this season. But there’s certainly contention for Chris Olave, who is enjoying a bounce-back year in an offense that switches from Spencer Rattler to Tyler Shaw at center. Olave has returned to the 1,000-yard receiving pool and has as many contested catches (16) as Cincinnati Bengals standouts Jamal Chase and Ty Higgins, according to PFF.
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Miami Dolphins C Aaron Brewer: Brewer was the centerpiece of a Dolphins offensive line that paved the way for Pro Bowl running back De’Von Acharn. Among all NFL centers with at least 500 offensive snaps this season, Brewer ranks second in PFF running back grade, one spot behind the Kansas City Chiefs’ Creed Humphrey and three spots ahead of the Baltimore Ravens’ Tyler Lindenbaum, both of whom made the AFC roster. Additionally, Brewer has only been sacked once this season, according to PFF.
Los Angeles Rams linebacker Kevin Dotson: The Rams running game is in desperate need of Pro Bowl reps. Kyren Williams and Blake Colum form a pretty good one-two punch in Los Angeles, and they’ve been running behind one of the best offensive lines in football this season. Dotson is a force to be reckoned with offensively. He can also increase his power to the second level. There’s no reason why Dotson can’t join Atlanta Falcons right guard Kris Lindstrom and Chicago Bears left guard Joe Thuney on an NFC roster.
Baltimore Ravens center Ronnie Stanley: Joe Alter is awesome. However, he has only played in six games for the Los Angeles Chargers this season. His spot should be taken by someone else, like Stanley. While the Ravens have had trouble at linebacker this season, their tackles have been solid. According to PFF, Stanley ranks sixth among all AFC tackles in fumble pressures (23) in more than 700 offensive snaps this season.
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Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis: Voters chose the wrong Eagles defensive tackle. Jaylen Carter is a game-breaker, but his teammate Jordan Davis is having a better season. Davis blocked the Rams’ potentially game-winning field goal in Week 3 and returned it for a touchdown. He hit three passes in a Week 11 win over the Lions. He lost weight before the season started, and his slimmed-down frame took a rare leap forward in his senior year. Davis totaled 65 tackles, nine TFLs and 4.5 sacks, all career highs.
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward: In the AFC, Heyward should replace defensive tackle Chris Jones with the Kansas City Chiefs. At 36, Hayward is defying age again after earning his fourth first-team All-Pro appearance. This time, he totaled 66 tackles, 8 TFLs, 6 passes defended and 3.5 sacks. For reference, Jones, 31, totaled 24 tackles, nine TFLs, two passes defensed and four sacks. According to PFF, Jones has generated five more pressures this season (53) than Heyward (48), but Heyward has proven to be an asset in run defense.
Jacksonville Jaguars OLB Josh Hines-Allen: It’s time to lay some flowers on the Jaguars. Their only Pro Bowler this season is long snapper Ross Matisick. That’s not to say Jacksonville is 11-4 and is expected to make the playoffs and be expected to be the No. 1 seed in the AFC. Trevor Lawrence has been a productive dual-threat of late, but the Jaguars defense needs a little more love. Hines-Allen had seven sacks and, perhaps more importantly, four pressure fumbles, according to NGS. His pressure rate (15%) is significantly higher than Pro Bowler TJ Watt (9.8%).
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Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd: Remaining in Jacksonville, Lloyd cannot be ignored. He has completed five passes. Four of those interceptions came in the first five games of the season. One of them was a 99-yard pick-and-six in a Week 5 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. It was the longest defensive touchdown in Jaguars history. Lloyd also played some key roles in run defense. On top of that, he recorded 22 pressures on 84 pass rush snaps, a pressure rate of 26.2 percent, per NGS.
Miami Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks: The linebackers in the AFC are Aziz Alshahir of the Houston Texans and Roquan Smith of the Baltimore Ravens. Brooks should have the advantage over both of them. For one, he led the NFL with 169 tackles and 93 solo tackles. But he’s more than just a tackle vacuum. Those tackles make a lot of sense, especially against the run. According to PFF, Brooks is tied for fifth in run defense stopping percentage (9.7 percent) among linebackers with 100 or more run defense snaps this season.
Chicago Bears CB Nahshon Wright: Wright’s coverage stats don’t jump off the page — after all, PFF held him to seven touchdowns — however, it’s hard to ignore the special season he had in the Bears’ opportunistic defense. Wright intercepted five passes, including a 74-yard interception in Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings and forced two fumbles. Speaking of fumbles, he has recovered three of them.
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Jalen Pitre, Houston Texans: Yes, Texas cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. is on the AFC roster. It still feels like the Texans’ secondary deserves more Pro Bowl appearances. This team has Texas-sized hands in Houston and is averaging the fourth-fewest passing yards per game this season (176.1). Cornerback Kamari Lassiter and safety Calen Bullock deserve consideration. Safety Jalen Pitre will also be selected. He’s dynamite on the shot and in the paint. He has no touchdowns on defense this season, has four catches, 11 total tackles and 66 total tackles, according to PFF.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers S Tyki Smith: Whatever the problem is, the Arizona Cardinals are going to have problems, making it difficult to gauge Bada Baker’s effectiveness against a truly porous defense in the desert. Maybe another safety can take his spot on the NFC roster. Either that, or Antoine Winfield Jr. could be waived by teammate Tyki Smith. Because Smith was outstanding in 2025, with 13 passes defended, two sacks and 94 tackles.
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Seattle Seahawks P Michael Dickerson: Washington Commanders punter Tress Way earned his third Pro Bowl. Dickerson is the better choice for the National League. Even though Way has punted more times inside the 20-yard line (27) than Dickerson (20) this season, Dickerson’s hang time (4.56 seconds) is the best in the NFC per PFF bettor and is much longer than Way’s (4.22 seconds). This is the reason why only 38.8% of Dickerson’s punts are returned, according to PFF.
