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The rosters for the NFL Pro Bowl were announced on Thursday afternoon. It shouldn't come as a surprise that many players around the league can make a case that they were snubbed out of the distinction that meant a whole lot more 20 years ago than it does today. One of those players, Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams, didn't even need to be the one to bring his Pro Bowl slight to the media's attention. Seahawks defensive back Devon Witherspoon handled that for him.
“That’s crazy, I ain’t gon’ lie,” Witherspoon said of Williams' snub, per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. “They gotta review that. They trippin.”
Witherspoon himself will be making his first career Pro Bowl appearance, joining Jaylon Johnson, Byron Murphy, and Jaycee Horn as the cornerback selections out of the NFC. Given the season that Leonard Williams has had, it's reasonable — and expected — that one of his teammates would be quick to call out the results of the vote. If you compare the 10-year veteran to the three interior defensive linemen who made the NFC Pro Bowl roster, you'll see that Williams has a compelling case for inclusion.
Leonard Williams – 15 games, 59 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 26 QB hits, nine sacks, one interception, one defensive touchdown, 86.4 PFF Grade
Dexter Lawrence – 12 games, 44 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 16 QB hits, nine sacks, one forced fumble, 89.9 PFF Grade
Vita Vea – 15 games, 39 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 12 QB hits, six sacks, 75.0 PFF Grade
Jalen Carter – 16 games, 42 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 16 QB hits, two forced fumbles, 74.1 PFF Grade
Although Williams did make the Pro Bowl after his second season in the NFL, there are a few seasons on his career resume that were Pro Bowl-worthy that came and went without the distinction. He notched a career-high 11.5 sacks and 30 QB hits during the 2020 season and was left off the roster, and just one year later, despite a career-best 81 tackles, he missed out again.
Witherspoon is the only Seahawk to make the Pro Bowl roster this year. Aside from Williams, a compelling case could've been made for second-year receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who enters the final week of the regular season ranked in the top 10 in both receptions (96) and receiving yards (1,121) after emerging as the Seahawks' go-to-receiver for quarterback Geno Smith this year.
