Falcons: Was A.J. Terrell snubbed from the 2022 Pro Bowl?

It is that time of the year when every team’s fan base complains about Pro Bowl rosters because a particular player they thought deserved to be recognized was snubbed. Since 1995, fans have been able to contribute in some voting capacity. Before that, coaches and players held all the power. Currently, players are voted in by the coaches, the players themselves, and the fans — each group’s ballot counts for one-third of the votes.

The reality is the voting system for the Pro Bowl is flawed, which is something I’ve talked about extensively.

“I believe the voting system is flawed to a certain extent, especially considering how much it can affect a player. Many incentives are tied up in Pro Bowl accolades; even Pro Football Hall of Fame voters consider how many Pro Bowl appearances a candidate has before inducting them into Canton. Still, it is a genius marketing approach by the NFL to give fans a chance to influence something happening in the league directly.”

Terrell will headline most “Pro Bowl Snubs” articles this year, but I would argue Chris Lindstrom being left off is more criminal. However, that isn’t to say Terrell is undeserving; in fact, it is blasphemous he wasn’t named to his first Pro Bowl. He’s only allowed 23 receptions on 52 targets for 150 yards, trailing only J.C. Jackson‘s (39.6) opponent passer rating allowed among primary outside cornerbacks this season.

To compare, Marshon Lattimore has given up 47 catches on 84 targets for 804 yards with an opponent passer rating of 106.4 — almost twice what Terrell is allowing. A knock against Terrell could be that he doesn’t follow the opposing team’s WR1, while Lattimore, Jalen Ramsey, Trevon Diggs, and Darius Slay go all over the field. Diggs’ interception total has undoubtedly grown into quite the story this year — another reason Terrell was snubbed.

I don’t necessarily have an issue with Ramsey and Slay, but I do with Diggs. He’s objectively a worse corner than Terrell yet was rewarded for his flashy interception total. The Falcons are also a bad team with very little national coverage, so it would be difficult for any member of the Falcons to make it over someone else on a better, more heavily covered team.