On Wednesday, the NFL announced the Pro Bowl rosters and Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. did not make the team. It’s the second year in a row that the 45th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft missed the cut, and his dad, a former three-time Pro Bowl cornerback, isn’t happy about his son’s Pro Bowl ‘snub.’
In fact, Winfield took to social media to let the public know how he felt, where he “demanded a recount.” But that’s not all. It gets better. Much better.
What Winfield seems particularly bothered with is the fact that Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker made the team instead, for the sixth time in his career, despite having, as Winfield stated, “no stats.”
Chances are, Winfield will still get to play in the Pro Bowl once others drop out due to injury or a trip to the Super Bowl. Notably, there were only three safeties named to the NFC Pro Bowl roster, with Baker joining Seattle’s Julian Love and Atlanta’s Jessie Bates III. However, the AFC Pro Bowl roster has just three safeties too.
We all know the Pro Bowl is mainly just a popularity contest at this point. It’s not held nearly in the same regard as All-Pro selections, yet as Winfield noted, Pro Bowl selections do impact other things like contract incentives.
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Antoine Winfield’s beef with his son’s Pro Bowl snub is legit
As Winfield mentioned, his son is in the final year of his contract and will be entering free agency, barring a last-minute extension with the Buccaneers. Yet, even though he may not have stretched his lone Pro Bowl appearance to two, the numbers show a much different story.
In other words, Winfield shouldn’t have any trouble landing a contract that places him among the highest-paid players at his position this offseason.
While the anger from Winfield’s dad is comical, Baker is the only Cardinals player named to the Pro Bowl, and the NFL typically tries to place one player from each team on the roster. That’s likely the only reason Winfield Jr. isn’t headed to the Pro Bowl Games. We can’t think of any other valid excuse.
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