The San Francisco 49ers are sending a star-studded group to the Pro Bowl this season, with six players earning selections and another named as an alternate - a testament to how dominant this team has been down the stretch. The roster includes some familiar faces and a few new additions, all of whom have played key roles in the Niners’ recent five-game win streak, capped by a 48-27 victory over the Colts in Indianapolis.
Let’s start with the headliners.
George Kittle continues to be a force at tight end, earning his seventh career Pro Bowl nod. That’s every year since 2021 - and this season, despite a slow start due to a hamstring injury that sidelined him for five games, Kittle has been heating up at the right time.
He’s posted 52 catches for 599 yards and seven touchdowns, with five of those scores coming in the last six games. Monday night in Indy, he finally hit the century mark in a game for the first time this season, hauling in seven passes for 115 yards and a touchdown.
At 32, Kittle is showing no signs of slowing down - he’s just getting stronger as the postseason approaches.
Christian McCaffrey, fresh off his 2023 Offensive Player of the Year campaign, is back in the Pro Bowl for the fourth time. He’s on the brink of a historic milestone: just 151 receiving yards shy of becoming the first player since himself in 2019 to post a 1,000-1,000 season (1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards).
Only three players in NFL history have pulled it off - McCaffrey, Roger Craig, and Marshall Faulk - and the fact that McCaffrey is within reach again speaks volumes about his all-around brilliance. He carried the load for the 49ers early in the season when injuries hit hard, and now he’s helping power their late-season surge.
Kyle Juszczyk is once again the NFC’s fullback - for the 10th straight year. That’s every season since he joined the 49ers from Baltimore in 2017.
His numbers - 21 catches for 194 yards and one touchdown, plus a couple carries - don’t jump off the page, but anyone who watches this offense knows how vital he is. Whether he’s splitting out wide, motioning across the formation, or sealing the edge on a toss sweep, Juszczyk is one of the most versatile chess pieces in Kyle Shanahan’s playbook.
He’s the kind of player who makes everyone else’s job easier.
Trent Williams, the 37-year-old anchor of the offensive line, is headed to his 12th Pro Bowl. That puts him in elite company - only three other offensive linemen in NFL history have made 12 or more.
Williams dealt with an ankle injury early in the season, the same joint that limited him last year, but he’s looked healthier and more dominant as the year’s gone on. After the win in Indy, fans were chanting “one more year” during his postgame interview.
Whether this is his final season or not, Williams is still playing at an elite level - and the league took notice.
Jon Weeks, the longtime long snapper who spent 15 seasons in Houston, is heading back to the Pro Bowl for the first time since 2015. After signing with the 49ers this past offseason, he’s brought consistency and veteran leadership to a key special teams role.
Joining him is Luke Gifford, a special teams standout who also came to San Francisco as a free agent. Gifford, now in his seventh NFL season, has racked up 30 tackles this year - most of them on special teams - and has been a steady presence in kick and punt coverage. His recognition as a Pro Bowl special teamer is a well-earned nod to the kind of work that often flies under the radar but is crucial to winning football.
Skyy Moore, acquired in a preseason trade from the Chiefs, didn’t quite break the 49ers’ long-standing punt return touchdown drought - which dates all the way back to 2011 - but he’s come close. Moore has been electric as a return man, flipping field position and sparking the offense with big plays.
A 98-yard kickoff return to the Arizona 1-yard line and a 66-yard punt return in Cleveland are just two examples of how dangerous he’s been. He’ll be an alternate for the Pro Bowl, and if called upon, he’d be a worthy addition.
It’s also worth noting who isn’t on this year’s Pro Bowl roster. Fred Warner and Nick Bosa, perennial selections, are both out for the season with injuries - Warner with a broken ankle in October, and Bosa after tearing his ACL in September. Their absence is felt, but the 49ers have continued to find ways to win, thanks in large part to the contributions of the players mentioned above.
The Pro Bowl Games are set for Tuesday, February 3 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, just days before Super Bowl LX kicks off in nearby Santa Clara. And with the way this 49ers team is playing, there’s a good chance some of these Pro Bowlers may have even bigger games on their minds.