Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes II was named to the Pro Bowl for the sixth straight season on January 3, as the NFL announced this year’s roster on social media.
He and the quarterbacks were posted first as Brock Purdy, Dak Prescott, Matthew Stafford, Tua Tagovailoa and Lamar Jackson joined Mahomes.
Four other Chiefs were voted onto the Pro Bowl roster in 2023-24, outside of Mahomes. They were tight end Travis Kelce, center Creed Humphrey, guard Joe Thuney and defensive lineman Chris Jones.
Kelce is currently just short of 1,000 receiving yards for the eighth straight season. Head coach Andy Reid left things open-ended when asked if Kelce would suit up in Week 18. Another 16 yards would get him there.
Jones is putting together another consistent campaign as well, with 9.5 sacks and 12 tackles for a loss despite a ton of extra attention from opposing offensive lines. As for Humphrey and Thuney, Pro Football Focus has both graded above a 75.0 on the season.
Humphrey has only allowed nine quarterback pressures this year, with a run-blocking grade of 78.9, while Thuney has allowed 24 QB pressures with a run-blocking grade of 66.6.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Still Makes Pro Bowl Despite Down Year
For his standards, it’s been somewhat of a down year for Mahomes. He’s only thrown 27 touchdown passes compared to 35-plus passing TDs the past three years.
His passer rating will also finish at a career-low mark of 92.6 — not counting his one-game campaign in 2017. Having said that, Mahomes’ QBR was a few decimals worse in 2021.
According to ESPN, “the intent of Total QBR is to isolate each NFL quarterback’s contribution to his team’s fortunes as accurately as possible with the data available.”
2024 #ProBowlGames Quarterbacks! pic.twitter.com/X6JCqES9yT
— NFL (@NFL) January 4, 2024
“It measures nearly every aspect of quarterback play, from passing to designed runs to scrambles to turnovers to penalties,” ESPN went on. “QBR also strives to separate the performance of the individual quarterback from the rest of his team, all in an effort to rate the overall efficiency of each quarterback in the league.”
By that definition, you might say Mahomes has been better than his passer rating reads in 2023. Part of that is the complimentary play around the Chiefs QB this year.
The wide receivers have dropped passes and been off on routes, while the offensive tackles have struggled throughout the season. The run game hasn’t always carried its fair share of the offense either, depending on the week.
Trent McDuffie & L’Jarius Sneed Headline Chiefs’ Pro Bowl Snubs
Out of the Chiefs’ Pro Bowl snubs, cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and L’Jarius Sneed stand out the most.
Both CBs have been spectacular in 2023. Sneed has spent the majority of the season shadowing the opposition’s best wide receiver all year, and he’s only allowed 42 receptions off 81 targets according to PFF.
McDuffie was credited with an even better coverage grade from PFF than Sneed — a 78.3 compared to a 71.9. Both were given a 70.7 run defense score too.
Another deserving Pro Bowler would be running back Isiah Pacheco. The Chiefs ball-carrier has 935 yards on the ground in 2023, as well as another 244 through the air. He also has nine total touchdowns.
In terms of efficiency, Pacheco has rushed for slightly less yards per carry in year two (4.6 compared to 4.9 as a rookie). If he plays in Week 18, he’ll have a legitimate shot at his first 1,000-yard season.
Pacheco has also achieved an impressive 66.8 yards per game in 2023. That number was a bit lower in 2022, at 48.8 yards per game.
