Falcons: Was Chris Lindstrom 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.”

Chris Lindstrom is one of several Falcons who fans believe was snubbed. And honestly, I think he deserves to be going to Vegas more than Cordarrelle Patterson, A.J. Terrell, or any other player on the team. He’s been arguably the second-best guard in football, not just the NFC. He hasn’t given up a single sack all season while mowing defenders down in the run game. Zack Martin was named to the NFC Pro Bowl roster, but you’ll find no sound arguments against the best guard in football. Ali Marpet has also played exceptionally well for Tampa Bay, but Lindstrom has played, at the very least, just as well. Brandon Scherff is the most significant outlier, who undoubtedly made the Pro Bowl on name recognition after missing a handful of games this season.

That is just how the offensive line works though — narratives and popularity goes a long way for this specific position because of the media’s scarcity of coverage for the big uglies up front. Lindstrom could easily make an All-Pro team, which would immediately dispel any notion he isn’t one of the best guards in the league.