While Danielle Hunter might rank in the top three for sacks entering Week 18, the Houston Texans defensive end was not one of the three edge rushers selected for the AFC Pro Bowl roster.
Now, his paycheck is suffering the consequences.
According to CBS Sports’ Joel Corry, Hunter’s two-year contract with the included a $1 million bonus for making the Pro Bowl. He’s currently the first alternate behind Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett, Cincinnati Bengals’ Trey Hendrickson and Las Vegas Raiders’ Maxx Crosby.
The voting isn’t entirely wrong since Garrett and Hendrickson have a case.
It’s an expensive Pro Bowl snub for Danielle Hunter who is 3rd in the NFL with 12 sacks. A Pro Bowl selection would have earned him $1M.
— Joel Corry (@corryjoel) January 2, 2025
The AFC North duo are tied for the league lead in sacks with 14 apiece. Garrett, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, also ranks first in tackles for loss and third in QB hits with 28.
Fans have questioned the move of Crosby over Hunter. Not only is the four-time Pro Bowler from Minnesota healthy entering the final regular season game, his numbers outweigh Crosby’s on every level.
Hunter’s 13 sacks outgain Crosby’s 7.5 by nearly double.
His 17 tackles for loss are one more than Crosby’s 16.
And Hunter leads the league with 90 pressures, according to NFL’s Next Gen stats. Crosby? He’s only totaled 53.
Lots of deserving players but sure seems like fan voting & name carried Maxx Crosby to the Pro Bowl over Danielle Hunter. Per NGS:
Crosby: 53 QB pressures, 12.3% pressure %, 7.5 sacks
Hunter: 90 QB pressures, 19.3% pressure %, 12.0 sacks
Hunter should be there #HTownMade pic.twitter.com/QSYG5zCGe6
— John Crumpler (@JohnHCrumpler) January 2, 2025
While Crosby is likely to miss the game after undergoing ankle surgery, Hunter’s proven stats were worthy of a first-ballot nod. Time will tell if he opts in and gets a chance to earn the bonus as an alternate next month.
The Texans close out the 2024 regular season on the road against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium on Sunday. Kickoff from Nashville is scheduled for noon CT.
