Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. was noticeably left off the 2023 NFC Pro Bowl roster. His teammate, Mike Evans, couldn’t believe it.
“A lot of guys get snubbed, but that was probably the biggest one during my time in the league,” he told reporters Thursday.
Winfield was not one of the names announced on Wednesday. Instead, Jessie Bates of the Atlanta Falcons was named the team’s lone free safety and Arizona Cardinals’ Budda Baker and the Seattle Seahawks’ Julian Love filled out the two strong safety spots.
#Bucs WR Mike Evans on S Antoine Winfield Jr. getting snubbed from the Pro Bowl roster:
— PewterReport 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) January 4, 2024
“A lot of guys get snubbed, but that was probably the biggest one that I’ve seen in my time in the league.” pic.twitter.com/7IL466jIIP
Winfield, 25, is currently sitting at a career high in tackles (117), sacks (five), forced fumbles (five), fumble recoveries (four) and passes defended (12) through his 16 starts this year. His father, Antoine Winfield Sr., was also furious at his son’s snub and demanded a recount of votes. Winfield Sr. was a three-time Pro Bowler with the Minnesota Vikings during his playing days.
The safety will still have a strong case to make an All-Pro team, but this one’s gotta sting.
