The 2017 Pro Bowl will take place this weekend, and despite the ugly end to their season, the Kansas City Chiefs have a lot to show for their season, as four Chiefs have been selected to represent the team in Orlando, Florida.
Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith, punter Dustin Colquitt, linebacker/special teamer DJ Alexander, tight end Travis Kelce, cornerback Marcus Peters, strong safety Eric Berry and return specialist Tyreek Hill were selected, the last four of which were named to the starting lineup for the AFC team. There are many reasons why each player is deserving of a spot in the Pro Bowl.
**Tyreek Hill**
Hill just completed his rookie season with the Chiefs and received attention for being one of the fastest kick returners in the NFL. This season, Hill was named AFC Player of the Month in December and received AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors in Week 14. Hill’s talent made him a unanimous selection for first-team All-Pro as a punt returner.
Hill made a huge impact for the Chiefs, especially in scoring, putting up points both as a receiver and a kick returner. On top of that, he accounted for 384 kick return yards, 592 punt return yards and three return touchdowns.
**Travis Kelce**
Kelce is a veteran player for the Chiefs and is one of the most talented tight ends in the NFL. He has been compared to some of the league’s other top tight ends like the Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski and the Redskins’ Jordan Reed.
This year, Kelce had 636 yards after the catch, the second most by a tight end in the past 10 seasons. He also broke the Chiefs’ single-season receiving record for a tight end with 1,125 yards.
**Eric Berry**
Berry has emerged as one of the most reliable safeties in the league and one of the best defensive players for the Chiefs. This would be Berry’s fifth Pro Bowl appearance in six NFL seasons, but he has declined the invitation to participate because he is a potential unrestricted free agent. His earning potential would likely go down if he were hurt in Sunday’s game.
Berry made an impact in crucial Chiefs victories, especially against the Panthers and Falcons, coming in clutch during the fourth quarter by intercepting a pass and scoring a touchdown to put the Chiefs back into the game. Overall, his stats reflect his talent. He recorded four interceptions, 62 total tackles and nine passes defended this season.
**Marcus Peters**
In just his second season, cornerback Marcus Peters has become one of the most feared corners in the league. Although he will not be participating, Peters was selected to be in the Pro Bowl for the second time in his young NFL career. Peters developed a case of turf toe, a sprain in the connective tissues between foot and one of the toes, during the regular season, but he played through it as the injury was nothing too serious. His injury, however, will keep him from playing on Sunday.
In the 2016 season, Peters dominated with 35 total tackles, three fumble recoveries and six interceptions. In the postseason game against the Steelers, Peters stood out with six tackles while containing Steelers receiver Antonio Brown.
**Alex Smith**
Chiefs quarterback Smith has been selected as a backup quarterback for the AFC team. Smith is replacing Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, who suffered a broken fibula in week 16.
Smith proved himself worthy of the selection by his stellar performance on offense this year for the Chiefs. He threw for 3,502 passing yards, fifteen touchdowns, and 328 completions during the regular season.
In the Chiefs single postseason game, Smith threw 20 completions, 172 yards and a touchdown.
**Dustin Colquitt**
Dustin Colquitt is a veteran punter who has been with the Chiefs since 2005. He is headed to Orlando in the place of Colts punter, Pat McAfee.
This season he had 76 punts, landing 38 of those inside the 20 yard line.
In the postseason Colquitt had four punts, only sticking one inside the 20 yard line. He also earned 183 gross punting yards, and a 45.8 gross punting average.
**DJ Alexander**
Linebacker DJ Alexander just finished his second season with the Chiefs, is taking the special teams spot of Patriots special teams ace Matthew Slater, who is playing in the Super Bowl.
During the regular season Alexander had two forced fumbles, 13 total tackles and 16 combined tackles.
The Pro Bowl will be played at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida, on Jan. 29. The game will be televised at 7 p.m. Central on both ESPN and ESPN Deportes.
_Edited by Eli Lederman | elederman@themaneater.com_