Historically, the NFL’s version of the All-Star game has annually been a disappointment. While each of the Big 4 sports have had All-Star Game problems. The NBA has the best situation in regards to All-Stars as basketball can focus upon individuals better than hockey and football (but not baseball). While the NBA’s All-Star Game is usually a no-defense all-offense affair, you sometimes see a really competitive 4th quarter and you sometimes see some crazy plays you don’t normally see otherwise. The NHL gets some credit for trying to pump interest in their All-Star Game, but unfortunately is still doesn’t lead to great hockey (unless combined scores of 30 are your thing) and for one reason or another the game gets cancelled for one reason or another (lockouts, the Olympics). Baseball infamously had a tie in their All-Star Game in 2002. Major League Baseball decided to make one of their most foolish decisions ever as a result. Starting in 2003 home field advantage for the World Series was on the line in each midsummer classic. That’s another discussion for another time though. At least baseball looks like baseball in their All-Star Game. But the Pro Bowl? The risks are too great to have a real game of football. There are tons of rule changes to prevent injuries (no blitzing for example) and to try to pump offense into the game. Not only does the Pro Bowl not look like real NFL football, players often still skip the game anyway.
As a result the most visible and popular position on the field, the quarterback, has often been filled by some less than stellar quarterbacks. For fun let’s look at the last 20 seasons of Pro Bowl quarterbacks and identify some of the worst ones (either by that individual season or by that players career outcome).
1996
AFC
Mark Brunell (JAX): 19 TD (8th), 20 INT, 4,367 Yards (1st), 84.0 QB RAT (7th) – It’s crazy how those numbers would be considered a good season 20 years ago, but today a QB with them could be losing his job. It’s always hard to justify a QB throwing more INTS than TDs. Brunell had led the Jaguars to the Conference Title game though and had a solid career afterwards though.
NFC
Troy Aikman (DAL): 12 TD, 13 INT, 3,126 Yards (9th), 80.1 QB RAT– Pure reputation pick at this point.
Gus Frerotte (WAS): 12 TD, 11 INT, 3,453 Yards (6th), 79.3 QB RAT– He had the yardage I guess. Unsurprisingly Frerotte never made another Pro Bowl.
Kerry Collins (CAR): 14 TD, 9 INT, 2,454 Yards, 79.4 QB RAT- A record based selection as Carolina was 12-4 (and 9-3 with Collins). Collins would wait 12 years before making another Pro Bowl.
1999
AFC
Mark Brunell (JAX): 14 TD, 9 INT, 3,060 Yards, 82.0 QB RAT – Here just because the Jaguars went 14-2 (and Brunell was 13-2 as a starter). None of those stats were Top 10 worthy.
2001
AFC
Kordell Stewart (PIT): 14 TD, 11 INT, 3,109 Yards, 81.7 QB RAT – Another example of a player getting to the Pro Bowl based on record. He’s helped by the fact that he also had 500+ rushing yards and 5 rushing TDs. This would be Stewart’s only Pro Bowl. In his career he had 77 TDs against 84 INTs. Interesting that Brunell had one of his better seasons here but because his team was 7-9 he missed.
2005
NFC
Michael Vick (ATL): 15 TD, 13 INT, 2,412 Yards, 73.1 QB RAT – I ignored Vick’s 2004 season because he had over 900 passing yards and the Falcons were good. The Falcons fell off in 2005, Vick rushed for about 600 yards (still impressive) and as a passer Vick was embarrassing. 73.1 QB Rating? Top 10 in interceptions?
2006
AFC
Vince Young (TEN): 12 TD, 13 INT, 2,199 Yards, 66.7 QB RAT – The poor man’s version of Vick’s 2005 season. Young got a lot of hype as a rookie because he led the Titans to a winning streak when it looked like their season was over. He did run 550 yards with 7 rushing TDs to help his case, but jeez.
2007
AFC
Derek Anderson (CLE): 29 TD (5th), 19 INT, 3,787 Yards (9th), 82.5 QB RAT – A sneaky pick here. Anderson apparently led the NFL in dropped picks as well. The rest of Derek Anderson’s career was pitiful…he threw half of his career TDs in this season alone. Probably one of the luckiest seasons by a QB in NFL history.
2008
AFC
Kerry Collins (TEN): 12 TD, 7 INT, 2,676 Yards, 80.2 QB RAT – The funniest thing about this was that Collins was looking for a big extension (around what Kurt Warner was making) because of his performance this season. While the Titans did have a great record here, Collins couldn’t get a playoff win here.
Brett Favre (NYJ): 22 TD (9th), 22 INT, 3,474 Yards, 81.0 QB RAT – Led the league in interceptions this season. There was some unluckiness for Favre here as he injured his arm near the end of the season which led to an uptick in INTs (and a four game losing streak that cost the Jets the playoffs). Then again he was also sending dick pics to women so who knows how the season would have finished anyway.
2009
AFC
David Garrard (JAX): 15 TD, 10 INT, 3,597 Yards, 83.5 QB RAT – A random selection here. The Jaguars weren’t a good team or anything either. Garrard had a superior season two years prior that he received no recognition for.
Vince Young (TEN): 10 TD, 7 INT, 1,879 Yards, 82.8 QB RAT – At least he had a QB Rating over 70 this time! I think this was the season all the AFC QBs bowed out or something.
2014
Andy Dalton (CIN): 19 TD, 17 INT, 3,398 Yards, 83.5 QB RAT – Funny how Dalton’s weakest season got him a Pro Bowl berth. Tied for 3rd in INTs.
2015
Teddy Bridgewater (MIN): 14 TD, 9 INT, 3,231 Yards, 88.7 QN RAT – Too bad we’re not past this whole game manager makes the Pro Bowl deal by 2016. Carson Palmer and Cam Newton are both not playing though so what can you do?
This list omitted some potentially bad ones career wise (we’ll have to see with Tyrod Taylor and Jameis Winston) and I also omitted Nick Foles because his run was really really good.
Enjoy the Pro Bowl!