2026 Pro Bowl Games snubs: Jordan Love, Cameron Heyward among players left out

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The annual Pro Bowl Games rosters were revealed on Tuesday. As always, some players will be left in the cold this winter.

With 88 total spots broken up between the AFC and NFC, and each position capped, it’s impossible for every worthy player to be included. The initial list is sure to bring about hot takes about who should and shouldn’t have made the squads. Hence, “snub” lists exist.

Personally, I don’t take this yearly adventure as an opportunity to trash those who made the squads. Rather, this exercise is better formulated as a chance to highlight players who, for one reason or another, were overlooked. The circular game of “who would you replace” is an affront to talented players who made the initial rosters. It’s not necessary. We can celebrate them all and use this as a place to suggest eventual replacements when players bow out — whether due to playing in the Super Bowl, injury or other issues.

I don’t begrudge anyone who takes issue with my choices, and, surely, I will wind up doubly snubbing someone who didn’t make my top-10 list.

We must shoehorn a special-teamer in. Dallas’     Brandon Aubrey     is probably going to be penciled into the Pro Bowl until his leg falls off, but we can use this space to point out that Reichard has had an excellent season. Reichard’s 5.6 field goals made over expected is tied for most in the NFL with Aubrey and his 19.3% FG percentage over expected sits No. 2, per Next Gen Stats. The Vikings kicker has missed only two boots all season — the infamous 51-yarder in London and a 53-yarder against the Chargers — for a 93.1 field-goal success rate. He has been perfect on all 28 point after tries (PATs). It’s not as if Reichard has feasted on chip shots. His 11 attempts from 50-plus yards are tied for fourth-most in the league, and he nailed a season-long 62-yarder.

A rocky early season for the Steelers defense and low sack numbers likely kept the seven-time Pro Bowler off this year’s list. Heyward has just 3.5 sacks, with two coming in the past two weeks. However, Heyward has stormed through the stretch run. The 36-year-old interior defender remains a menace, generating 48 pressures, per Pro Football Focus. Heyward has helped turn around a sieve-like run defense, generating 41 run stops this season with a -28.0 run-stop EPA, both third-most among DTs. Heyward has swallowed ball-carriers when he’s at the point, missing a lone attempt on the season, per PFF. When things looked dismal for the Steelers four weeks ago, veterans like Heyward improved their play, pushing Pittsburgh to the precipice of the postseason.

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