Martellus Bennett Headed to Pro Bowl, Matt Forte Snubbed
Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago Bears tight end Martellus Bennett gets to cap off a career season with a trip to the Pro Bowl. Unfortunately for Bennett, the game is being played in Arizona and not in Hawaii.
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The 7th year veteran had a terrific season, leading all tight ends with 90 catches and accrued 916 yards and 6 touchdowns. Since the Pro Bowl is not conference dependent, Bennett can replace Rob Gronkowski, an AFC player, who will be busy preparing for the Super Bowl as his Patriots face the Seattle Seahawks.
Chicago Bears guard Kyle Long broke the news of Bennett being added to the Pro Bowl roster with a tweet nodding to the supposed Twitter fight the two teammates got into last week.
Bennett becomes the first Chicago Bears tight end to participate in the Pro Bowl since, wait for it, Mike Ditka. That’s a pretty long drought since Ditka played in the 60’s.
Ironically enough, former Chicago Bears tight end Greg Olsen was named to his first Pro Bowl as a member of the Carolina Panthers. Olsen was deemed expendable in Mike Martz’s system and traded away before the 2011 season. Which would you rather have, Olsen or Bennett?
Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Bennett and Long become the lone Chicago Bears Pro Bowl representatives while running back Matt Forte was been doubly snubbed. LeSean McCoy and Marshawn Lynch pulled out of the Pro Bowl but Alfred Morris and Mark Ingram were named replacements. Seriously?
Morris had 1074 rushing yards and 8 TD’s while Ingram had 964 yards and 9 TD’s for the Redskins and Saints respectively. Those are nice seasons, but pale in comparison to Matt Forte’s 2014 season. Forte had 1038 rushing yards and 6 TD’s on the ground, but added 102 receptions for 808 yards and 4 TD’s through the air. Nearly 2000 all-purpose yards and 12 TD’s should have gotten Forte in with the initial selections. To see him snubbed as a replacement is maddening. Kyle Long agrees:
What do you think of the Pro Bowl selections? Are you surprised that Bennett was selected and Forte was snubbed?