NFL News

[jaadam4]

T.J. Watt made Pro Bowl after missing seven games, Eddie Jackson missed two and was off the ballot

Posted by Michael David Smith on December 22, 2022, 5:09 AM EST

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Bears safety Eddie Jackson is out for the season with a foot injury and wouldn’t be able to participate even if he made the Pro Bowl, but Jackson isn’t happy about his snub — especially compared to Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt, who has missed more time than Jackson but still made the AFC Pro Bowl roster.

Jackson, who was leading all safeties in fan Pro Bowl voting before his season-ending injury two weeks ago, pointed out that he was immediately taken off the Pro Bowl ballot when he was placed on injured reserve. Watt, meanwhile, missed seven games but still made the Pro Bowl.

“How somebody miss 6 games but still make pro bowl I miss two games so far but taken off ballot,” Jackson wrote in a since-deleted tweet.

Jackson did not mention Watt by name and got the number of games that Watt missed wrong, but he appeared to be referring to Watt with his question. And Jackson makes a valid point: He played in 12 games this season before his injury. Watt will play, at most, 10 games this season, having missed seven of the Steelers’ 14 games so far this season.

It’s easy to see why Jackson is frustrated, and another reminder that Pro Bowl voting doesn’t make a lot of sense, and that many worthy players are snubbed while many unworthy players get in.

Still, while the traditional Pro Bowl game has been pushed aside for a flag football game and other events, the Pro Bowl does matter: It directly impacts players financially, as the Collective Bargaining Agreement ties increases in first-round draft picks’ fifth-year option salaries to Pro Bowl selections. And some players have Pro Bowl bonuses in their contracts.

So it would be nice if Pro Bowl selections better reflected how much players had actually contributed. In the case of Watt, who has only played half of the Steelers’ 14 games this year, it’s hard to justify him making it. And if Watt can make it after missing seven games, it doesn’t make a lot of sense that Jackson was taken off the ballot as soon as he went on injured reserve.

Amen!! It’s always been a popularity contest. Nothing you can do homeboy

[Topweasel]

Amen!! It’s always been a popularity contest. Nothing you can do homeboy

It is and it's why Watt made it in (and just straight up talent. In 4 years he has enough sacks for 8 pro-bowls). But the difference is Jackson is out for the season and can't participate and Watt had a long injury outage this year but is playing and can make the game.

The problem with what Jackson is complaining about is that the Pro Bowl is an event and not an award. But player contracts treat it like an award. It's not fair to Jackson that after a pro bowl season, because he got injured near the very end, he won't fullfil a pay qualifier where players out longer will.

TJ shouldn't make it based on 5 sacks and two INTs. That's why he shouldn't get in not the injury, well assuming he still has PB stats.

[AKLionsfan]

I see both sides of the argument. Yes it is largely a popularity contest with players often getting in by name alone. But I can understand why he’s off the ballot, he’s injured and therefore cannot play in the game so why extend the invite? Either he wanted the notoriety or had an accelerator in his contract, maybe both?

[Iron Lion]

I see both sides of the argument. Yes it is largely a popularity contest with players often getting in by name alone. But I can understand why he’s off the ballot, he’s injured and therefore cannot play in the game so why extend the invite? Either he wanted the notoriety or had an accelerator in his contract, maybe both?

He's not saying he deserves anything. He's just saying that if a guy misses 7 games and gets voted in, why's a guy who missed 2 games not even on the ballot?

[jaadam4]

Neither are Lions. I don’t really care

[Topweasel]

He's not saying he deserves anything. He's just saying that if a guy misses 7 games and gets voted in, why's a guy who missed 2 games not even on the ballot?

He is not on the ballot because he is unable to participate. It's that simple. Total games missed don't matter but because it's an active event and he is on IR it makes no sense to invite him. If TJ had 15 sacks, but went on IR 5 games ago, he might have had a point. But TJ is actively playing right now.

But I'll repeat it. Nothing about TJs performance qualifies for a PB invite.

[kreton]

NFL suspends Jets receivers coach Miles Austin for betting on sports other than football

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...than-football/

I don't really get why this would be a problem.

[chemiclord]

NFL suspends Jets receivers coach Miles Austin for betting on sports other than football

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...than-football/

I don't really get why this would be a problem.

Say you get into some bad beats and accumulate no small amount of gambling debt.

Bookie comes to you and says, "Hey... I'll let your debt slide if you provide a... client of mine... with your teams playbook and/or signals and do what you can for your receivers to have a bad game next Sunday."

That's why it would be a problem.

[jaadam4]

Yes indeed. This is a giant rabbit hole of shit with professional
sports and betting. I’m not a huge fan at all

[Nick Pappageorgio]

Reading more into that story…Apparently there are different rules for players than coaches (players can bet on non-football events; coaches are prohibited).

Austin is a former player and may have not even known about the difference in rules.

I work in corporate….and I feel like this is the type of shit I would get “mandatory training” on annually. I don’t understand how the NFL jumps into bed with legalized gambling…and haven’t set up a series of seminars/trainings to help it’s employees navigate he rules.

[kreton]

Say you get into some bad beats no small amount of gambling debt.

Bookie comes to you and says, "Hey... I'll let your debt slide if you provide a... client of mine... with your teams playbook and/or signals and do what you can for your receivers to have a bad game next Sunday."

That's why it would be a problem.

I hadn't thought of that. Great point. Does make a lot more sense.

[Cody_Russell]

Penei Sewell to the Pro Bowl as the 1st alternate given this news maybe 🤔
Big loss for the Eagles. Not sure what their OT depth is like, but our Lions would be screwed if Sewell or Decker were out.

[ghandi]

Sounds painful

[Cody_Russell]

Broncos fired HC Nathaniel Hackett.
Not surprising. I actually checked the ESPN app this morning with the assumption of a HC (Hackett, Kingsbury, Lovie Smith, or Arthur Smith) being fired. Guess we received the news this afternoon!

Hackett was god awful. Bottom tier of NFL HC hires in recent memory. Put him in the tier of guys like Freddie Kitchens, Hugh Jackson, Rod Marinelli, Matt Patricia, etc.

[ghandi]

Wonder if they will go after Sean Payton or someone like that?