Trio of Bulldogs grab NFL Pro Bowl selections
As the NFL season comes to a close this week, postseason accolades are closing in and the Pro Bowl selections are the first to come out.
Mississippi State fans have grown accustomed to watching some of their favorite Bulldogs compete in the event at the end of the season and a trio of former State players will be in the game this year.
Leading the way will be quarterback Dak Prescott as the Dallas Cowboys’ triggerman was named to his third Pro Bowl and the first since 2018. It’s been a long time coming for Prescott to make it back to the game but it was well-deserved in 2023.
Coming into the final week of games, Prescott is one of the NFL’s top passers and has led his Cowboys to an 11-5 record with a chance to clinch the NFC East on Sunday against Washington. Prescott has a chance to have the second most passing yards he’s accumulated in a season as he’s sitting at 4,237 yards in 16 games with 32 touchdowns and just eight interceptions.
The Haughton, La., native and one of the all-time greats in Starkville, Prescott leads the league in touchdown passes a year after leading the league in interceptions. He’s had his second-lowest interception rate of his career this season at 1.4% with his lowest being 0.9 his Rookie season in 2016.
Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Chris Jones is making his fifth Pro Bowl appearance after being selected for the fifth year in a row. With a 0.5 sack on Sunday against the Chargers, Jones would notch double digit sacks for the third time in his career and second year in a row.
Jones has played in 15 games this year missing the first game due to holding out for a contract. He has 29 tackles this season, 9.5 sacks and four pass deflections and he’s also just 0.5 sacks away from 75.0 in his career. He’s already fifth in Chiefs’ history in sacks and just 4.5 away from passing Justin Houston for fourth all time.
Another guy that likes to get to the quarterback is Montez Sweat and the former Bulldog great is having the best season of his career. Sweat earned his first Pro Bowl selection of his five years in the business after leading both the Commanders and the Chicago Bears in sacks this season.
After corralling the quarterback 6.5 times in eight games with the Commanders to start the year, Sweat has helped the Bears get some stability in the second half as he was traded and has 6.0 sacks in eight games this year in Chicago.
Sweat has career highs in tackles (54), sacks (12.5), and forced fumbles (3), while also making 13.0 tackles for loss and knocking down four passes.
The Pro Bowl Games take place at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla., on February 4.
