Jalen Hurts is headed back to the Pro Bowl, and this time, he’s joined by a name we haven’t seen in the all-star spotlight before-Joe Flacco. Yes, that Joe Flacco. After 18 seasons in the NFL, the veteran quarterback is finally getting the Pro Bowl nod, capping off one of the more improbable late-career resurgences we’ve seen in recent memory.
Hurts, now a three-time Pro Bowler, earned the selection after another strong season under center for the Eagles. He completed 64.8% of his passes for 3,224 yards, with 25 touchdowns to just six interceptions, posting a passer rating of 98.5. It’s the kind of efficient, steady performance we’ve come to expect from Hurts, who continues to solidify his place among the league’s top dual-threat quarterbacks.
But the real headline here is Flacco. At 41 years old, the former University of Delaware standout-who started the year with the Browns before being traded to the Bengals-put together a season that felt like a throwback to his Baltimore days. He appeared in 13 games, starting 10, and while his full-season numbers were solid (60.3% completion rate, 2,479 yards, 15 TDs, 10 INTs), his time in Cincinnati is what truly turned heads.
Taking over for the injured Joe Burrow, Flacco started six games for the Bengals and looked rejuvenated. He completed 61.7% of his passes, threw for 13 touchdowns against just four interceptions, and posted a passer rating of 91.7. For a guy who wasn’t even on a roster to start the season, that’s an incredible run-and now, it’s earned him his first-ever Pro Bowl appearance.
It’s a full-circle moment for Flacco, who once declined a Pro Bowl invite back in 2015 while with the Ravens because his wife was about to give birth. Eleven years later, he finally gets his shot.
This year’s Pro Bowl Games will take place on February 3 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. The event, which has shifted in recent years from a traditional game to a showcase of skills, will feature a series of competitions leading into a flag football game between the AFC and NFC. The skills competitions kick off at 6:30 p.m., with the flag football game set for 8 p.m.
Hurts won’t be the only Eagle in attendance, either. Philadelphia is sending five other players to the Pro Bowl: center Cam Jurgens, linebacker Zack Baun, defensive tackle Jalen Carter, and rookie cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. It’s a strong showing for a team that continues to develop talent on both sides of the ball.
As for Flacco, his Pro Bowl debut is more than just a nice capstone-it’s a testament to perseverance, preparation, and the kind of veteran savvy that still has a place in today’s NFL.