The 2025 Pro Bowl rosters are out, and as you might expect, the debates have already begun. Snubs have been identified. Underserving veterans have coasted in for another year. Fans are crying foul. It happens every season.
The same is certainly true when looking at the Kansas City Chiefs. In total, the Chiefs have five Pro Bowlers this season and eight more alternates. That's a solid pool of talent but such totals should be expected for a team that's 15-1 and aiming for a historic three-peat.
Five Chiefs were named to the 2025 Pro Bowl:
— Matt McMullen (@KCChiefs_Matt) January 2, 2025
Creed Humphrey (Starter)
Chris Jones (Starter)
Joe Thuney (Starter)
Travis Kelce
Trey Smith
KC also had 8 alternates:
Trent McDuffie
Nick Bolton
Patrick Mahomes
Carson Steele
George Karlaftis
Matt Araiza
Leo Chenal
Harrison Butker
The Pro Bowl matters
Before we sort out what the Pro Bowl got right and wrong in 2025, it's important to note something here for Chiefs Kingdom: The Pro Bowl matters. The majority of lazy fans will likely see a player overlooked and roll their eyes giving some throwaway line like, "He won't be playing that weekend anyway because he'll be in the Super Bowl." Sure.
That sounds good as a comeback but sassing no one in particular is a dumb look. The truth is that Pro Bowls are thrown around as (horribly reductive) quick-and-easy ways to discuss the career impact of a player. Think of Hall of Fame debates where someone might say "7-time Pro Bowler Creed Humphrey..." and then reset your framing of the game's importance.
The truth is that the players want to be honored and it helps them in myriad ways—from their own popularity to earning league-wide notice. Those things also equal real dollars and marketing opps.
In short, the Pro Bowl matters. Now onto the sorting.
Some Chiefs coast in as well
Every year there are veterans who make the Pro Bowl solely on the basis of their name/fame and that's true this year, too. (What's Maxx Crosby doing here?) But that's also true of Chiefs players and if we're going to be fair in our approach, then let's admit this first thing.
Harrison Butker has been a Pro Bowl caliber kicker for the majority of his career. He's also unfairly sat in the shadow of Justin Tucker all this time. But of all the seasons to make his first Pro Bowl, an injury-plagued season in which he hit IR and then came back only to look shaky is not the year to celebrate.
Even the Chiefs have players who earn a mention when it's really not proper to do so, but we're making up for lost time here.
Trent McDuffie deserves more respect
If Chiefs Kingdom is going to bang the drum for any single player on this list, it should be to move Trent McDuffie from Pro Bowl alternate to the primary roster (or even starter). That's because no one at this point is even questioning whether or not McDuffie is one of the league's top 2-3 cornerbacks—and that's in both conferences combined.
The Chiefs struck gold when they moved up to trade with the New England Patriots in 2022 to take McDuffie in the draft. Since then, he's only proven himself time and again, even when saddled with more and more responsibility. Despite giving up much in size on the outside at times, he's nearly as effective on the boundary as he is collapsing inside and he's a plus blitzer who handles the run well.
There's no doubt McDuffie is well on his way to a Ring of Honor spot as long as K.C. finds a way to extend him beyond his rookie deal. And perhaps even greater accolades are awaiting him thereafter. But getting the Pro Bowl to notice should be an easy sell. (Seriously Marlon Humphrey and Denzel Ward here?)
The perfect season for Trey Smith
The Chiefs could have chosen to sign Trey Smith to a multi-year deal coming into this season and they would have paid the going rate at the time for a very reliable young player who'd developed into a very good performer inside. Four months later, they're looking at a Pro Bowl-caliber starter who should completely reset the guard market when he hits free agency.
The Chiefs' entire offensive interior were named to the Pro Bowl (including center Creed Humphrey and left-side wonder Joe Thuney) but Smith is the one with "Pro Bowler" attached to his name for the first time here. Smith might have deserved it last year, but he definitely turned heads this year with his incredible strength, motor, and technique in so many primetime games for K.C. this year.
This is likely a sour development for the Chiefs' ability to keep Smith around, but we're happy for Smith to grab the bag this offseason from someone. He's a helluva guard and the honor is well-deserved.
Everything else looks right
We're fine with everything else here, for the most part. Travis Kelce deserves the nod here despite what trolls will say about Swifties. The o-line is elite and Chris Jones is a pure menace who should be in stronger contention for DPOY.
As for the alternates, it'd be nice to see Mahomes on the main roster, but the quarterbacks in the conference have enjoyed stronger seasons, so it makes sense. Matt Araiza has been nothing short of sensational, so it's nice to see a nod here.
A bit surprising to see two Chiefs linebackers earn Pro Bowl spots, but we're very happy for both Leo Chenal and Nick Bolton. And Carson Steele has been a fun story all along. (Also a FB role on the Pro Bowl roster is funny.)