Concessions and Concerns
We want to be fair here and not just complain about what is missing, so here’s a quick hit list of further concerns alongside a concession.
Tyreek Hill
It should be mentioned that Tyreek Hill made this year’s Pro Bowl when he has no business doing so. That’s not to say that he’s not All-Star material. He is the NFL’s fastest player and an elite wide receiver with well-rounded skills that make him much more than a deep threat. He deserves mention alongside the best at his position because he is among the best at his position.
That said, Hill missed the bulk of Week 1 and then all of Weeks 2 through 5. He also sat most of Week 11 with injury. What is scary is despite missing so playing time, Hill still has 727 yards and 7 touchdowns with a very outside chance of breaking the 1K mark with two games left.
However with those season totals, it’s not quite fair to others who have remained healthy and very productive to put Hill in that spot. We love Hill and love that he’s recognized as an impact performer by his peers, but some others are honestly more deserving given the injuries. D.J. Chark of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Courtland Sutton of the Denver Broncos, Julian Edelman of the New England Patriots and DeVante Parker of the Miami Dolphins all merit consideration over Hill.
Harrison Butker
Anything more than a single kicker is boring, so we get it that Justin Tucker deserves the primary nod here in the AFC for being so good at his craft. However, we just wanted to add that in a year where the Chiefs special teams units fell off considerably, Butker has remained a revelation as the Chiefs kicker.
Butker has converted 88.6 percent of his field goals and he leads the NFL with 31 made (out of 35). He’s rewarded the Chiefs for giving him a five-year extension and gives Andy Reid confidence at a position where other teams struggle with a revolving door of failed applicants. It’d be nice to honor Butker as one of the NFL’s best, but there are only so many slots.