Buccaneers Star Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. Embarrassingly Snubbed By Pro Bowl Voters

Getty Image / Cliff Welch

I think by now, everyone treats the NFL’s Pro Bowl with little seriousness, given all the opt-outs of the game that lead to players who don’t deserve to be named Pro Bowlers getting the honor. It’s going to be hard to shed that reputation, as the Pro Bowl selections for the 2023 NFL season have been released, with Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. unjustifiably left off the list.

Winfield had an outstanding season for the Buccaneers. With one week left in the season, Winfield Jr. has 117 tackles, five sacks, five forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and three interceptions with two touchdowns. That is, by any metric, an outstanding season.

But, Pro Bowl selections, which are equally comprised of player votes, fan votes, and coach votes, came out and he’s somehow off the list.

Those NFC safeties are all good players, and Jessie Bates III has had himself a monster year. But, there is no reason why Budda Baker made the Pro Bowl over Antoine Winfield Jr.

Baker, who missed five games earlier this season while recovering from an injury, has 77 tackles and no sacks, interceptions, forced fumbles, or fumble recoveries. He’d been selected to four Pro Bowls in a row, and it seems like voters voted on that instead.

Even their Pro Football Focus grades aren’t even close. Winfield Jr. is the second-ranked safety according to Pro Football Focus, while Baker is the 53rd-ranked safety. Come on, voters. Got to be better than that.

Winfield Jr. has a good chance of being named first-team All Pro alongside Bates after the season. That apparently wasn’t good enough for Pro Bowl voters.

While I’m sure the snub bothers him, Winfield is likely focused on this weekend’s game against the Carolina Panthers. It’s a win-and-in game for The Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they look to win the NFL South.

The 2024 NFL Pro Bowl is February 4 in Orlando, Florida.