Joe Flacco has been surprisingly selected for the Pro Bowl for the AFC. Despite his long and successful career, this is the veteran’s first appearance in the All-Star Game.

For many years, Joe Flacco played at an above-average quarterback level in the NFL for the Baltimore Ravens and even won the Super Bowl in 2013. However, he never made it to the Pro Bowl – until 2026. The class of his former opponents in the AFC, such as Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger, was simply too great. Even this season, there was initially no indication that Flacco’s year would be extended.

Under normal circumstances, his statistics of 15 touchdowns and 2,579 yards would hardly have been enough for a trip to the Pro Bowl. The competition was too strong again this year, and Flacco was nowhere near the level he was at ten years ago.

Injuries lead to Flacco’s selection

However, as is now the case almost every year, several candidates were ruled out due to injury. Of the three selected, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, and Drake Maye, the latter is playing in the Super Bowl, while Allen broke his foot.

Potential replacements such as Bo Nix, Lamar Jackson, and Patrick Mahomes are also out of the question due to injuries. So, after a total of 18 years in the NFL, the 41-year-old will finally get to make his Pro Bowl debut. Together with Shedeur Sanders, who succeeded Flacco in Cleveland, he had led the Browns to a 5-12 record in a shaky offense. Both are still in the Pro Bowl.