Jan. 2 (UPI) — Joe Burrow, Sam Darnold and Travis Kelce are among 88 selections confirmed for the 2025 Pro Bowl Games, the NFL announced Thursday. The Baltimore Ravens led all teams with nine selections for the annual celebration.
Former star quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Eli Manning will coach the respective NFC and AFC teams. The teams will face off in a 7-on-7 flag football game on February 2 at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. The Pro Bowl Games will also feature week-long skills competitions.
Many players from the NFL’s top teams will likely retire from the game as their teams compete to reach Super Bowl LIX.
The Detroit Lions had seven players selected, the second most in the league. The Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles each earned six selections. The Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys each won five selections.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson, running back Derrick Henry, fullback Patrick Ricard, wide receiver Zay Flowers, center Tyler Linderbaum, interior lineman Nnamdi Madubuike, inside linebacker/middle Roquan Smith, cornerback Marlon Humphrey and strong safety Kyle Hamilton were the Ravens’ selections.
Burrow, who leads the NFL with 4,641 passing yards and 42 touchdowns, and Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen join Jackson as the AFC’s quarterbacks. Allen was chosen as the starter. Henry will start at running back, with Joe Mixon of the Houston Texans and Jonathan Taylor of the Indianapolis Colts as reserves.
Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals and Jerry Jeudy of the Cleveland Browns were chosen as the AFC’s starting wide receivers. Flowers and Nico Collins of the Texans are the reserves.
Chase leads the NFL with 117 catches, 1,612 receiving yards and 16 receiving scores.
Las Vegas Raiders rookie Brock Bowers was selected as the starting tight end, with Kelce as a reserve. Dion Dawkins of the Bills and Laremy Tunsil of the Texans are the starting offensive tackles. Rashawn Slater of the Los Angeles Chargers is the third-ranked offensive tackle in the AFC.
Quenton Nelson of the Colts and Joe Thuney of the Chiefs were chosen as starting guards. Trey Smith of the Chiefs was also selected at guard. Chiefs center Creed Humphrey was chosen as the starting center, with Linderbaum as a reserve.
On defense, Myles Garrett of the Browns and Trey Hendrickson of the Bengals, who are tied for the NFL’s top 14 sacks this season, earned starting defensive spots. Raiders passer Maxx Crosby is a reserve.
Cameron Heyward of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chris Jones of the Chiefs are the AFC’s starting interior defensive linemen. Madubuike is a reserve. Nik Bonitto of the Denver Broncos, TJ Watt of the Steelers and Khalil Mack of the Chargers were selected at outside linebacker.
Smith and the Colts’ Zaire Franklin, who leads the NFL with 165 combined tackles, were the inside/middle linebacker selections. Humphrey, the Texans’ Derek Stingley Jr., the Broncos’ Patrick Surtain II and the Browns’ Denzel Ward were selected as cornerbacks.
Minkah Fitzpatrick of the Steelers and Derwin James of the Chargers joined Hamilton as safety selections. Kicker Chris Boswell of the Steelers, return specialist Marvin Mims Jr., Brenden Schooler of the New England Patriots and long snapper Ross Matiscik and punter Logan Cooke, both of the Jaguars, were AFC special teams selections .
In the NFC, the Lions reigned, with quarterback Jared Goff, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, offensive tackle Penei Sewell, center Frank Ragnow, strong safety Brian Branch and punter Jack Fox selected.
Goff joins Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, St. Brown, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle, Sewell and Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson and Ragnow as offensive starters in the NFC.
Barkley leads the NFL with 2,005 rushing yards and is just 101 yards away from breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season record, but is not expected to play in Week 18 of the regular season as the Eagles are gearing up for another playoff run. Jefferson’s 1,479 receiving yards are the most in the NFC and second in the NFL, behind Chase.
The Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons, 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa, Eagles interior lineman Jalen Carter and New York Giants interior lineman Dexter Lawrence, Vikings outside linebackers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel, 49ers Fred Warner, Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylen Johnson and Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy, Green Bay Packers free safety Xavier McKinney and Arizona Cardinals strong safety Budda Baker are the NFC’s defensive starters.
Vikings long snapper Andrew DePaola, Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey and return specialists KaVontae Turpin and KhaDarel Hodge of the Atlanta Falcons join Fox as NFC special team starters.
Branch, cornerbacks Jaycee Horn (Carolina Panthers) and Devon Witherspoon (Seattle Seahawks), linebackers Zack Baun (Eagles) and Jared Verse (Los Angeles Rams), interior lineman Vita Vea (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and l Defensive end Rashan Gary (Packers) are the NFC’s defensive reserves.
Darnold and Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders join Goff as the NFC’s quarterbacks. Packers star Josh Jacobs joins Barkley and Gibbs among the NFC’s running backs.
49ers veteran guard Kyle Juszczyk, receivers CeeDee Lamb (Cowboys) and Terry McLaurin (Commanders), tight end Trey McBride (Cardinals), offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs (Buccaneers), offensive guard Chris Lindstrom (Falcons) and center Cam Jurgens (Eagles) are the NFC’s other backup offensive selections.
