Miami Dolphins Get Three Pro Bowl Players, But Not QB Tua Tagovailoa
For the first time since 2017, the Miami Dolphins had more than one player selected to the Pro Bowl — even though quarterback Tua Tagovailoa wasn’t one of them.
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill, tackle Terron Armstead and cornerback Xavien Howard were the Dolphins players among the initial selections.
Tagovailoa leads the NFL in passer rating among several significant passing categories and also led all AFC quarterbacks in fan voting, but he was bypassed after the player and coach votes by Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs, Josh Allen of the Buffalo and Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals.
With those three among the leading candidates for NFL MVP consideration — based at least on odds from BetOnline (www.betonline.ag — this was not totally unexpected, as we predicted earlier.
Tagovailoa was selected as the first alternate and will go to the 2023 Pro Bowl Games if any Mahomes, Allen or Burrow bow out because of injury of if the Chiefs, Bills or Bengals are playing in the Super Bowl.
Hill was the biggest slam dunk of all for the Dolphins this season and he was selected to the Pro Bowl for the seventh time in seven NFL seasons. A case could have been made for fellow Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, but the three AFC players selected along with Hill were Davante Adams, Stefon Diggs and Ja’Marr Chase.
Hill and Diggs were the two selected as starters. Waddle was selected as the first alternate.
Armstead made the Pro Bowl for the fourth time in his career, and his selection was a testament to his toughness in being able to play through injuries throughout the season.
His reputation certainly helped Armstead’s status in getting the Pro Bowl nod, though his performance also has been top-notch whenever he’s been in the lineup.
Armstead was selected as one of the two starters, along with former Dolphins first-round pick Laremy Tunsil.
Howard made the Pro Bowl for the fourth time since joining the Dolphins as a second-round pick in 2016, and this frankly was one of those Pro Bowl selections made on reputation.
Put bluntly, this has not been a particularly impressive season for Howard, who was slowed by groin issues early in the season and simply hasn’t been the X that Dolphins fans have come to know. Beyond the fact he’s got only one interception on the season, Howard is allowed opposing QBs a ghastly 106.9 passer rating when targeted, according to Pro Football Reference.
Unlike Hill and Armstead, Howard was not selected as a starter. That distinction belonged to Denver Broncos star Pat Surtain II, the son of the former three-time Dolphins cornerback of the same name, and rookie Sauce Gardner of the New York Jets. Marlon Humphrey was the other cornerback selected.
Along with Tagovailoa and Waddle, another player who had a case for making the Pro Bowl was defensive lineman Christian Wilkins. Fullback Alec Ingold led all AFC players at his position in fan voting, but the fullback spot went to Patrick Ricard of the Baltimore Ravens.
DOLPHINS PRO BOWL ALTERNATES
Along with the three players selected, the Dolphins had four players selected as a first at their position — they will take part in the 2023 Pro Bowl Games if players bow out because of injuries or because their team is involved in the Super Bowl.
Along with Tua, the Dolphins first alternates were Ingold, Waddle and defensive end Christian Wilkins.
Outside linebacker Bradley Chubb was selected as a second alternate, safety Jevon Holland was a fourth alternate and tight end Mike Gesicki was a fifth alternate.
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FOR EVEN MORE COVERAGE ON THE MIAMI DOLPHINS, CHECK OUT SPORTS ILLUSTRATED’S MIAMI DOLPHINS PAGE ON SI.COM.
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DOLPHINS PRO BOWL SELECTIONS SINCE 2000
2000 (7) — DE Trace Armstrong, ST Larry Izzo, CB Sam Madison, S Brock Marion, C Tim Ruddy, DE Jason Taylor, LB Zach Thomas
2001 (2) — CB Sam Madison, LB Zach Thomas
2002 (7) — DT Tim Bowens, CB Sam Madison, S Brock Marion, CB Patrick Surtain, DE Jason Taylor, LB Zach Thomas, RB Ricky Williams
2003 (4) — S Brock Marion, DE Adewale Ogunleye, CB Patrick Surtain, LB Zach Thomas
2004 (2) — DE Jason Taylor, CB Patrick Surtain
2005 (3) — WR Chris Chambers, DE Jason Taylor, LB Zach Thomas
2006 (2) — DE Jason Taylor, LB Zach Thomas
2007 (1) — DE Jason Taylor
2008 (3) — RB Ronnie Brown, T Jake Long, LB Joey Porter
2009 (3) — S Yeremiah Bell, K Dan Carpenter, T Jake Long
2010 (4) — LS John Denney, T Jake Long, DE Randy Starks, LB Cameron Wake
2011 (3) — T Jake Long, WR Brandon Marshall, DT Paul Soliai
2012 (4) — LS John Denney, G Richie Incognito, DT Randy Starks, DE Cameron Wake
2013 (4) — P Brandon Fields, CB Brent Grimes, C Mike Pouncey, DE Cameron Wake
2014 (3) — CB Brent Grimes, G Mike Pouncey, DE Cameron Wake
2015 (5) — T Branden Albert, CB Brent Grimes, S Reshad Jones, WR Jarvis Landry, C Mike Pouncey
2016 (4) — RB Jay Ajayi, WR Jarvis Landry, DT Ndamukong Suh, DE Cameron Wake
2017 (2) — S Reshad Jones, WR Jarvis Landry
2018 (1) — CB Xavien Howard
2019 — None
2020 (1) — CB Xavien Howard
2021 (1) — CB Xavien Howard
2022 (3) — T Terron Armstead, WR Tyreek Hill, CB Xavien Howard
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