The 2022 Pro Bowl roster includes one Panthers player and two first alternates
A Carolina Panthers player has made the 2022 NFL Pro Bowl.
Except, it’s not who you’d expect first.
Defensive end Brian Burns was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his three-year career, and he was named as a starter.
Burns is second on the team with nine sacks this season, trailing outside linebacker Haason Reddick, who has 11 sacks but was left off the Pro Bowl roster.
Burns also has two forced fumbles, which is tied with Reddick, and 13 tackles for loss.
Reddick’s absence was a surprise given he received the most votes from fans among the NFC’s outside linebackers, and is fourth in the NFC for most sacks. Fan voting makes up a third of the selection process, with coaches and players counting a third each.
But he was named a first alternate. Also named a first alternate was cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who didn’t play his first game until Week 8 against the Atlanta Falcons.
The Panthers signed Reddick to a one-year, $8 million deal this past offseason. He will become a free agent in March.
Reddick has been the Panthers’ best defensive player this season. He leads the Panthers (5-9) with 11 sacks, which is fourth in the NFC, and is tied for the team lead with two forced fumbles. He also has 62 tackles.
The game will be played in Las Vegas on Feb. 6.
