Led by star second-year quarterback and NFL Most Valuable Player front-runner Lamar Jackson, an NFL-record 12 Ravens were named to the Pro Bowl on Tuesday night.
Jackson, who has powered the Ravens to a franchise-record 10-game regular-season winning streak, was one of six Ravens chosen to start in the annual all-star game. The Pro Bowl will be held in Orlando, Florida, on Jan. 26, the Sunday before Super Bowl LIV. (Players who reach the Super Bowl do not play in the Pro Bowl.)
The Ravens, who led the NFL in total fan votes, are well represented in all three phases. On offense, fullback Patrick Ricard, left tackle Ronnie Stanley and guard Marshal Yanda were also named starters, while running back Mark Ingram II and tight end Mark Andrews got in.
Defensively, outside linebacker Matthew Judon, cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Marlon Humphrey and safety Earl Thomas III were named to the roster. Kicker Justin Tucker and long snapper Morgan Cox will represent the Ravens’ special teams as starters. Right tackle Orlando Brown Jr. and punter Sam Koch, meanwhile, are first alternates.
The 12 selections tie the 1973 Miami Dolphins’ record for the most on an initial Pro Bowl roster and break the franchise record of eight, reached in 2003, 2006 and 2011. (The 2007 Dallas Cowboys had 13 players in the Pro Bowl, the most in NFL history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.) The Ravens had seven players finish atop fan balloting at their respective positions in the AFC. Voting for the Pro Bowl, which also equally weighs the input of players and coaches, concluded last week.
“This honor is all about my teammates and our coaches, because without them, the success we’ve had as a team wouldn’t be possible,” Jackson said in a release. “I’m also grateful for all the fans who continue to support us and who have helped make this season so special. Ultimately, it’s about winning, and we still have a lot of work to do before we accomplish our biggest goals.”
A year after his passing struggles cost the Ravens in a season-ending playoff loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Jackson earned his first Pro Bowl nod with week after week of breathtaking play. As a passer, the 22-year-old has thrown for a franchise-record-tying 33 touchdowns and six interceptions and became the youngest quarterback in NFL history to post two perfect passer ratings in a single season. As a runner, Jackson broke Michael Vick’s single-season record for rushing yards by a quarterback and is averaging an NFL-best 6.9 yards per carry. He’s the first Ravens quarterback selected since Vinny Testaverde in 1996, the team’s inaugural season.
He had help. Ingram, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, has 963 rushing yards, 211 receiving yards and 14 total touchdowns, one shy of Ray Rice’s single-season franchise record. Andrews has 58 catches for 759 yards, fifth most among tight ends, and eight touchdowns, the most at the position and by a Ravens tight end in a single season. Ricard, a two-way player and first-time honoree like Andrews, has emerged as one of the Ravens’ most versatile and punishing blockers.
Up front, Yanda has again led the Ravens’ rock-solid offensive line. With his eighth Pro Bowl selection, the 35-year-old is behind only linebacker Ray Lewis (13), offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden (11) and safety Ed Reed in career honors. Stanley, a second alternate in the Pro Bowl last year, has allowed no sacks and just six pressures in 13 games this season, according to Pro Football Focus. Brown, taken two rounds after Jackson and three picks before Andrews in last year’s draft, has continued his development into an upper-tier right tackle.
Peters, acquired in a mid-October trade with the Los Angeles Rams, has five interceptions overall — only two players have more this season — and an NFL-high three defensive touchdowns, along with 13 passes defended. It’s his first Pro Bowl selection since 2016 and third overall. Humphrey, who was snubbed in Pro Bowl voting last season, earned his first career nod after returning two fumbles for touchdowns and posting two interceptions and 13 pass defenses.
Judon, a first-time honoree, is one of three NFL defenders this season with at least eight sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 25 quarterback hits and three forced fumbles. Thomas, a seven-time honoree, has 1½ sacks and two interceptions this season and has helped the Ravens force opposing quarterbacks into a 78.5 passer rating, the third best in the NFL.
Tucker, the most accurate kicker in NFL history, is third in the league in scoring (120 points). He’s 51-for-53 on extra-point attempts and 23-for-24 on field-goal tries this season, including a perfect 15-for-15 inside 40 yards. Koch, who has punted just 35 times in 14 games, has posted a net average of 39.6 yards in his 14th NFL season. Cox, in his 10th year in Baltimore, remains one of the NFL’s most reliable operator in both units.
Of the Ravens’ 12 Pro Bowl players, nine are homegrown players; only Ingram, Peters and Thomas did not start their career in Baltimore. With the Ravens’ aggressive approach in securing long-term extension and their draft success in recent years — Stanley, Humphrey and Jackson were first-round picks from 2016 to 2018 — all but Judon and Peters are under contract through the 2020 season.
Here are the Pro Bowl rosters, with asterisks denoting starters.
AFC OFFENSE
Wide receiver: DeAndre Hopkins*, Houston Texans; Keenan Allen*, Los Angeles Chargers; Jarvis Landry, Cleveland Browns; Tyreek Hill, Kansas City Chiefs
Tackle: Ronnie Stanley*, Ravens; Laremy Tunsil*, Houston Texans; Trent Brown, Oakland Raiders
Guard: Marshal Yanda*, Ravens; Quenton Nelson*, Indianapolis Colts; David DeCastro, Pittsburgh Steelers
Center: Maurkice Pouncey*, Pittsburgh Steelers; Rodney Hudson, Oakland Raiders
Tight end: Travis Kelce*, Kansas City Chiefs; Mark Andrews, Ravens
Quarterback: Lamar Jackson*, Ravens; Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs; Deshaun Watson, Houston Texans
Running back: Nick Chubb*, Cleveland Browns; Derrick Henry, Tennessee Titans; Mark Ingram, Baltimore Ravens
Fullback: Patrick Ricard*, Ravens
AFC DEFENSE
Defensive end: Joey Bosa*, Los Angeles Chargers; Frank Clark*, Kansas City Chiefs; Calais Campbell, Jacksonville Jaguars
Interior lineman: Cameron Heyward*, Pittsburgh Steelers; Chris Jones*, Kansas City Chiefs; Geno Atkins, Cincinnati Bengals
Outside linebacker: Von Miller*, Denver Broncos; T.J. Watt*, Pittsburgh Steelers; Matthew Judon, Baltimore Ravens
Inside linebacker: Darius Leonard*, Indianapolis Colts; Dont’a Hightower, New England Patriots
Cornerback: Stephon Gilmore*, New England Patriots; Tre’Davious White*, Buffallo Bills; Marcus Peters, Ravens; Marlon Humphrey, Ravens
Free safety: Minkah Fitzpatrick*, Pittsburgh Steelers; Earl Thomas, Baltimore Ravens
Strong safety: Jamal Adams*, New York Jets
AFC SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker: Justin Tucker*, Ravens
Long snapper: Morgan Cox*, Ravens
Punter: Brett Kern*, Tennessee Titans
Return specialist: Mecole Hardman*, Kansas City Chiefs
Special teamer: Matthew Slater*, New England Patriots
NFC OFFENSE
Wide receiver: Julio Jones*, Atlanta Falcons; Michael Thomas*, New Orleans Saints; Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tackle: David Bakhtiari*, Green Bay Packers; Tyron Smith*, Dallas Cowboys; Terron Armstead, New Orleans Saints;
Guard: Zack Martin*, Dallas Cowboys; Brandon Brooks*, Philadelphia Eagles; Brandon Scherff, Washington Redskins
Center: Jason Kelce*, Philadelphia Eagles; Travis Frederick, Dallas Cowboys
Tight end: George Kittle*, San Francisco 49ers; Zach Ertz, Philadelphia Eagles
Quarterback: Russell Wilson*, Seattle Seahawks; Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints; Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Running back: Dalvin Cook*, Minnesota Vikings; Christian McCaffrey, Carolina Panthers; Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys
Fullback: Kyle Juszczyk*, San Francisco 49ers
NFC DEFENSE
Defensive end: Cameron Jordan*, New Orleans Saints; Nick Bosa*, San Francisco 49ers; Danielle Hunter, Minnesota Vikings
Interior lineman: Aaron Donald*, Los Angeles Rams; Fletcher Cox*, Philadelphia Eagles; Grady Jarrett, Atlanta Falcons
Outside linebacker: Chandler Jones*, Arizona Cardinals; Khalil Mack*, Chicago Bears; Shaquil Barrett, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Inside linebacker: Bobby Wagner*, Seattle Seahawks; Luke Kuechly, Carolina Panthers
Cornerback: Marshon Lattimore*, New Orleans Saints; Richard Sherman*, San Francisco 49ers; Darius Slay, Detroit Lions; Jalen Ramsey, Los Angeles Rams
Free safety: Budda Baker*, Arizona Cardinals; Eddie Jackson, Chicago Bears
Strong safety: Harrison Smith*, Minnesota Vikings
NFC SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker: Wil Lutz*, New Orleans Saints
Long snapper: Rick Lovato*, Philadelphia Eagles
Punter: Tress Way*, Washington Redskins
Return specialist: Deonte Harris*, New Orleans Saints
Special teamer: Cordarrelle Patterson*, Chicago Bears