Chiefs Rookie OC Creed Humphrey Snubbed From Pro Bowl, Named Alternate | Here's an Opinion
The Pro Bowl matters
This isn’t about the guys who made it above him. It’s not about bringing people down.
It’s just going to be about Creed Humphrey, and then a full breakdown of all of the awful, I mean, truly terrible players who got in ahead of our guy … a Not-So-Top 10 list, followed by a #CreedIsGood, #HeWouldNever breakdown of the other guys being terri-bad, I mean, seriously? …
… just kidding, but the guy is the NFL’s No. 1-ranked center this year according to Pro Football Focus, and that’s across both the AFC and NFC.
The season he’s having is as remarkable as Jack Stack BBQ and deserves to be discussed. But before we get into his season, check this out 👇🏼
(Beautiful. Chefs’ kiss)
It should be noted that Humphrey was named as an alternate.
That generally means this player would go considering a lot of “starters” pull out for various reasons — along with a bunch of players participating in the Super Bowl who obviously don’t go either. There are generally a lot of players in the Super Bowl who are also in the Pro Bowl, because they’re in fact, good at football, and those players generally help teams win more games. (Yes, it’s sarcasm. Get used to it.)
Completely-related topic, the Chiefs had SIX starters (original ballot) and EIGHT alternates named to this year’s Pro Bowl team.
But before we get into specifics about Humphrey’s season and the embarrassing lack of awareness to get the right people in, again - let’s stop pretending it doesn’t matter.
There are real incentives with the Pro Bowl. It might not be a fun game to watch. Fans and some media might not care as much. But it’s real money, real consequences - both in the short and long-term for these players. They’re affected by these decisions and the accolades do mean something.
It’s about time we figure out a better way to do all of this and get some more of these decisions right in the moment, and not just do what we’re all numb to now.
Take it from a guy with an interesting relationship with the Pro Bowl — Mitch Schwartz — having never been named to an ‘original ballot’ team, but he was named to the AP All-Pro First Team (2018), which is generally seen as a more prestigious award.
And still, look at his perspective when pressed about it …
Players like the Pro Bowl because it’s a paid vacation for them and their families, and they’re human beings. It was in Hawaii, then Florida, and now Las Vegas. It’s really not much more difficult than that (side note: love that Mitch brings this perspective to Twitter).
Let’s also stop pretending that the “Number of Pro Bowls” isn’t — whether we like it or not — going to be used in some fashion down the road in Pro Football Hall of Fame discussions.
Yes, that could elicit eye rolls, but we literally do that now. Search any NFL content and pay attention to how veteran, or former players’ achievements, are listed or promoted. I’d bet the “number of Pro Bowls” is right there near the start.
I mean, it’s right there on their profile on the Hall of Fame site! It matters!
But it’s a lot like PFF numbers — we like them when we want to like them. They always matter because people will use them to make all kinds of points that others will take as gospel - and again, whether we like it or not, that means we all have to pay attention.
And then there’s this — via OverTheCap.com, which explains that for first-round picks on rookie deals — it matters even more.
One Pro Bowl: Players who are named to exactly one Pro Bowl on the original ballot (not as an alternate) will be eligible for a fifth-year base salary equal to the transition tender at their position.
Multiple Pro Bowls: Players who are named to two or three Pro Bowls on the original ballot (not as an alternate) will be eligible for a fifth-year base salary equal to the franchise tender at their position.
Now, this is REALLY not nothing if you’re a player in this position. It’s tough to come out and say anything about it. Imagine if they did and were honest? OHH BOYYYY! That’s too much to unpack here.
But while Humphrey wasn’t a first-round pick - he has been the best center in football this season, and how many years should we wait before having a conversation about changing the process to get it right?
I understand a little of how the process works and let’s just say it could be improved.
The guy even had a music video made about the fact that he’s good.
Humphrey — a rookie — has played more snaps at center this year than any other player in the league. That’s while anchoring the line of AFC’s top team through a tumultuous start, and allowing just one hit on Patrick Mahomes on 672 pass-blocking snaps.
He should be there — plain and simple, and he’s not. But we will just move on to the next thing and think the issue will miraculously fix itself in the future. But it won’t.
And there he is in the midst of it all just being a good dude. 🤣
The Chiefs will be playing in the Super Bowl and so the “vacation” portion of it won’t matter to Humphrey anyways, but it’s time we stop pretending that it’s OK to keep doing this every year. Fix the problem. Honor the best players for that season.
This has worked out well for some Chiefs’ players in the past. It absolutely works both ways. I remember talking to Tamba Hali about this in the locker room one day back in 2015. He wasn’t going to apologize for a free vacation but he laughed about the fact that he was going to the Pro Bowl when he finished T-39th in the league with 6.5 sacks.
If being named to the Pro Bowl is going to continue to be used to reward the best players through financial incentives, along with being used in the description of a players’ career — molding the perception of career successes and achievements to others — then the process for determining who those players are shouldn’t be so easily dismissed.
In some cases, it is right now because this happens every year. There are a few egregious omissions, and this year it’s Creed Humphrey.
The best in the game deserves better.