There are two games left in the 2016 regular season, and that means it is time once again for Pro Bowl roster announcements. The announcements take place Tuesday evening at 5 p.m. PT. We’ll post the results here shortly after that, but if you feel obligated to keep track yourself, it will air on NFL Network, and NFL.com will also be posting results.
Here are the announcement details:
Time: December 20, 5:00pm Pacific time (8pm ET)
TV channel: NFL Network
Online streaming: NFL.com
This year, there are some changes to the rules. The past few years they did a fantasy draft, where two team captains picked players from a single pool, rather than AFC vs. NFC. It was an intriguing idea that flopped quickly. This year, the AFC/NFC format is back.
I don’t believe the NFL has a requirement like MLB for every team to be represented, so there is a very decent chance nobody from the 49ers is on the NFC roster. There will be plenty of players dropping out for injuries, the Super Bowl, or just not giving a crap, and even then I don’t know that the 49ers will have anybody worth of representation.
Joe Staley is a guy who has ended up in his fair share of Pro Bowls, but the offensive line has struggled this year, and with the team being as bad as it has, it would be easy for everybody to overlook him. Add in his hamstring injury, and even if he did make it he might just choose to stay home.
Carlos Hyde has had a solid year, and if he remains healthy, I could actually see him ending up on the roster as an alternate. There will be enough injured backs who back out of the game that a trip to Orlando for Hyde would make sense.
DeForest Buckner and Rashard Robinson are moderately interesting options for a “rookie game,” but I don’t think we’ll see either getting nearly enough support for a spot on the Pro Bowl roster.
Here’s a rundown of game details if you are decide you want to watch the Pro Bowl next month:
Location: Orlando FL
Date: January 29, 2017
Time: 5:00 p.m. PT
TV channel: ESPN
One cool change to Pro Bowl week is the addition of a skills competition. The league announced several skills competitions, including dodgeball, power relay, precision passing, and best hands. I am actually more likely to watch that than the actual game.