As we trend toward the start of January, the playoffs draw closer, and the weather grows colder. Week 15 became the first week of the season where teams could clinch playoff spots. On the other side of the coin, there have already been multiple groups eliminated from postseason contention. No matter the record, there\u2019s one big push around the league, and that\u2019s Pro Bowl voting. While some fanbases are waiting for the offseason, others are gearing up for the playoffs. This week, we\u2019ll take a break from projecting the future or projecting the playoff field and focus on one player from each team who deserves a Pro Bowl nod.<\/p>\n
1. Los Angeles Rams (11-3) Previous Week: 2<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: QB Matthew Stafford<\/p>\n
When the Rams made the bold move to trade for Stafford in 2021, most believed that if they could get three good years out of him, the blockbuster deal would be worth it. Not only has Los Angeles already won a Super Bowl with him under center, but he\u2019s firmly in the MVP race, and on pace to put up career highs in multiple categories. It\u2019s hard to believe that the 37-year-old\u2019s status heading into the regular season was up in the air due to chronic back issues, isn\u2019t it? The Rams are loaded with talent, but it\u2019s hard to deny that he\u2019s their best player.<\/p>\n
2. Denver Broncos (12-2) Previous Week: 3<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: LB Nik Bonitto<\/p>\n
Like any team at (11-2), Denver has plenty of deserving players that should get a nod, but this is all about the \u201cmost deserving,\u201d which would be their stud pass rusher. Bonitto broke out last season, received an extension, and has followed up on that with another fantastic season. The Broncos\u2019 defensive front as a whole is flat-out dominant, but the former Oklahoma product is the best of the bunch. Although Broncos fans are focused on winning the Top seed in the AFC, there\u2019s plenty of talent that should be honored at the end of the season.<\/p>\n
3. Seattle Seahawks (11-3) Previous Week: 4<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: WR Jaxson Smith-Njigba<\/p>\n
Year 2 of Mike MacDonald has been as transformative as many Seahawks fans were hoping it would be. If it weren\u2019t for the fact that they were in the deepest division in football, Seattle would be a sure-fire division-winner. They took a big gamble when swapping out Geno Smith and D.K. Metcalf for Sam Darnold and Cooper Kupp, yet it has worked out tremendously, even if Kupp hasn\u2019t delivered top production. A big reason why is Smith-Njigba\u2019s meteoric rise into the league\u2019s elite receivers. Although he\u2019s no longer tracking to break the single-season receiver yards record, he has a comfortable lead at the top for yards this season.<\/p>\n
4. New England Patriots (11-3) Previous Week: 1<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: QB Drake Maye<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s be honest here, a Pro Bowl nod isn\u2019t enough. Maye has been one of, if not the best, quarterbacks in the league. He\u2019s firmly in the MVP race and deservedly so. Anytime a team can completely flip the script from one year to the next, it takes far more than one player. That said, it\u2019s impossible to deny the second-year quarterback\u2019s impact on this young team.<\/p>\n
5. San Francisco 49ers (10-4) Previous Week: 6<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: RB Christian McCaffrey<\/p>\n
Although the 29-year-old is averaging under four yards per carry, he\u2019s on pace for 2,000-plus scrimmage yards for the third time in his nine-year career. For all of the injuries that the 49ers have had, McCaffrey has been the most steady presence on the team. It\u2019s hard to imagine that no matter what he does over the final three games of the year, this won\u2019t be considered a \u201ccareer year\u201d, but it goes to show how good a player he is, even nine years into his impressive career.<\/p>\n
6. Buffalo Bills (10-4) Previous Week: 7<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: RB James Cook<\/p>\n
Despite the Bills being loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, including the 2024 MVP at quarterback, it\u2019s been their newly extended running back who has had the best season. Cook, who is in his fourth year, is on pace to eclipse 2,000 scrimmage yards. Although he hasn\u2019t been quite the same factor as a receiver as McCaffrey, he\u2019s averaging over five yards per carry and has been the steadiest presence in the Bills\u2019 offense in 2025. That extension is looking like quite the bargain right now.<\/p>\n
7. Green Bay Packers (9-4-1) Previous Week: 5<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: DE Micah Parsons<\/p>\n
Every front office and fan in the NFC North groaned when the Packers pulled off the most significant trade of the offseason. Landing a pass rusher is one thing; acquiring someone like Parsons is another. After all, he\u2019s the only pass rusher in NFL history to start the first five years of his career with 12 or more sacks in each season. Not only has he been elite to begin his career, but he\u2019s on pace to set a new single-season career high in sacks during his first year in Green Bay. The Packers had a talented defense before his arrival, but his presence has taken them to a new level, making them a Super Bowl contender almost overnight. Unfortunately for Parsons, he was lost for the year with a torn ACL, but it does not take away from his stellar first season in Green Bay.<\/p>\n
8. Chicago Bears (10-4) Previous Week: 8<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: G Joe Thuney<\/p>\n
Just days before the legal negotiation period opened, the Bears executed a pair of trades in back-to-back days to rebuild the interior of their offensive line. The second of those moves was none other than the four-time All-Pro. As a whole, Chicago retooled all three spots on their interior line, and although it took some time for them to gel, Thuney continues to be one of the league\u2019s elite offensive linemen. According to Pro Football Focus, Thuney is the top-rated pass-blocking guard. He\u2019s given up just one quarterback hit, committed two penalties, and given up no sacks. He\u2019s been everything and more than the Bears could have hoped for.<\/p>\n
9. Houston Texans (9-5) Previous Week: 9<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: DE Will Anderson<\/p>\n
Rewinding to the 2023 NFL draft, Anderson was widely regarded as the best overall player in the class. Like usual, two quarterbacks went before him, but so far, it\u2019s easy to argue that he\u2019s been the best of the players taken in the Top 3. His third NFL season has led to his best performance, and he doesn\u2019t look like he\u2019s slowing down anytime soon. For as good as Danielle Hunter has been, it\u2019s fair to argue that Anderson is the Texans\u2019 best pass rusher. He\u2019s one of, if not their best overall defender, which is high praise considering how talented their entire defense is.<\/p>\n
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4) Previous Week: 12<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: LB Devin Lloyd<\/p>\n
After a couple of failed seasons under former head coach Doug Pederson, the Jaguars are back on track and in complete control of the AFC South with just three weeks remaining. They\u2019ve always had plenty of offensive talent, but last year\u2019s uncharacteristic defensive performance appears to be in the rear-view mirror. The defensive line is getting after the quarterback more, but Lloyd has been the biggest difference-maker. Although he hasn\u2019t played a full complement of snaps, he\u2019s second in the league in interceptions, and grades out as PFF\u2019s second-highest graded linebacker.<\/p>\n
11. Los Angeles Chargers (10-4) Previous Week: 10<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: K Cameron Dicker<\/p>\n
Just so we are clear: This is the most deserving, not the only deserving. With that in mind, Dicker is my pick, simply for how good he has been this season. Quarterback Justin Herbert has had a good season, as have other players on the defensive side of the ball, but if we\u2019re going by the best season (no matter the position), it\u2019s Dicker. Outside of Nick Folk, he\u2019s been the most accurate kicker in the league. Even more impressive, he\u2019s done it with 30-plus attempts, which most at the positions cannot claim.<\/p>\n
12. Philadelphia Eagles (9-5) Previous Week: 13<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: LB Zack Baun<\/p>\n
This was one of the hardest teams to make a definitive answer for. The Eagles are a vastly talented group, but they\u2019ve had quite the season behind the scenes, and it\u2019s starting to bleed into their play. That said, I focused on the defensive side of the ball (thanks to offensive injuries). It was between cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, but ultimately Baun won out. Since coming over from the Saints, he\u2019s been one of the best linebackers in the game, and despite the big payday during the offseason, he\u2019s still producing at a high level.<\/p>\n
13. Detroit Lions (8-6) Previous Week: 11<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: RB Jahmyr Gibbs<\/p>\n
Even in somewhat of a \u201cdown\u201d season, this is still a team with plenty of talent. On the offensive side of the ball, there are receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, plus quarterback Jared Goff. Defensively, some of their stars in the secondary have missed time, but Aidan Hutchinson has 8.5 sacks and a 14% Pass Rush Win Rate. In the end, the best player on the team has been their third-year running back. Gibbs has been incredible, and in my estimation, he\u2019s been what has kept this offense running so efficiently, even with the ups and downs. He\u2019s continued to split the backfield with David Montgomery, but his explosiveness has been a huge difference-maker.<\/p>\n
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6) Previous Week: 16<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: OG Isaac Seumalo<\/p>\n
Pittsburgh was another tough team to circle as the most deserving. They have plenty of quality players, but none are really having big years. Seumalo is having the best year on the offensive line, and when all else fails, going to the trenches is always a safe bet. We\u2019ll see how their stars perform over the final three games of the season, but losing T.J. Watt for the time being was not something they wanted to have to deal with.<\/p>\n
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7) Previous Week: 14<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: OT Tristian Wirfs<\/p>\n
Despite their hot start, the Bucs have been very hot and cold for much of the season. A big reason for that is the large number of injuries they\u2019ve experienced, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Because of that, the usual suspects (Mike Evans, etc) didn\u2019t play enough to qualify for this \u201chonor\u201d. Instead, I decided to go with a good-ole, steady presence at their elite left tackle. Wirfs is putting up another great season, and most importantly, has been available more often than not. The Bucs are a good team, but this was a tough one to pinpoint because of their health issues. Cornerback Jamel Dean was the runner-up, with a career-best season at age 29.<\/p>\n
16. Baltimore Ravens (7-7) Previous Week 18<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: RB Derrick Henry<\/p>\n
2025 has been an odd season in Baltimore, and despite being a Super Bowl favorite, things haven\u2019t really clicked for them. Quarterback Lamar Jackson missed some time and hasn\u2019t looked the same since returning. The defense has been a disaster for most of the season. That said, this came down between two players.\u2014one on each side of the ball. Safety Kyle Hamilton continues to be one of the league\u2019s best defenders, but Henry has been the ultimate difference-maker on the offense side of the ball; thus, he gets the nod here.<\/p>\n
17. Indianapolis Colts (8-6) Previous Week: 15<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: RB Jonathan Taylor<\/p>\n
Earlier in the season, quarterback Daniel Jones would have had something to say about this. Still, his play started to dip a little, and following a torn Achilles, Taylor is the unquestioned best player in Indianapolis for 2025. What\u2019s there really to say about Taylor\u2019s 2025 campaign? He\u2019s averaging over five yards per carry and leads the league in rushing. On top of that, he has more total touchdowns than any other non-quarterback in the league. It\u2019s a much easier case to make after the Jones\u2019 season-ending injury.<\/p>\n
18. Carolina Panthers (7-7) Previous Week: 17<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: RB Rico Dowdell<\/p>\n
In a league of surprising teams, the Panthers are right there in the mix for their first playoff spot since 2017. With two games remaining against the Bucs, that\u2019s a division race to follow. As far as most deserving players, Dowdell has come out of virtually nowhere to have some of this season\u2019s most prolific rushing performances. Despite not opening the season as the starter, he\u2019s taken the job and run with it\u2026 Literally, he\u2019s averaging close to five yards per carry.<\/p>\n
19. Minnesota Vikings (6-8) Previous Week: 23<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: OT Brian O\u2019Neill<\/p>\n
To say that 2025 has been a tough year for the Vikings would be an understatement. Following up a 14-win season with whatever this has been hasn\u2019t been easy on the eyes and hasn\u2019t inspired much confidence in the future of quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The defense has been good, but not as dominant as we expected. In the end, there\u2019s plenty to figure out this offseason without a ton of cap flexibility. The plus side is that they have a pair of stud tackles, and that\u2019s why O\u2019Neill gets the nod here.<\/p>\n
20. Miami Dolphins (6-8) Previous Week: 21<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: De\u2019Von Achane<\/p>\n
Teams always have to be wary in a free-agent season, but that said, Achane is having a career year and has been the most steady part of a very up-and-down offense. Not only is Achane going to get paid this offseason, but he\u2019s also well within reach to finish in the Top 5 in rushing yards this year. The most impressive aspect of his game is that he continues to average close to six yards per carry behind a so-so offensive line.<\/p>\n
21. Dallas Cowboys (6-7-1) Previous Week: 20<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: QB Dak Prescott<\/p>\n
The Cowboys are having one of those seasons where nothing can go right for too long. The defense has been a disaster for the most part, but their offense has been keeping them in most games. CeeDee Lamb has struggled with injuries despite having a productive year. George Pickens has been a revelation, as has Javonte Williams. In the end, this goes to the star quarterback, who has been playing lights out for almost all of the year. Even in a down year, Dallas has shown plenty of offensive stars.<\/p>\n
22. Kansas City Chiefs (6-8) Previous Week: 19<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: QB Patrick Mahomes<\/p>\n
The Chiefs are yet another team with plenty of talent that has been pretty disappointing. Any time a team makes the Super Bowl in three straight years, expectations will always be sky-high, but for the first time since 2017, they haven\u2019t lived up to those. A talented roster is one thing, but Mahomes has been the best of the best on this roster, especially in a year where so many key players are underperforming. It\u2019s unfortunate to see him go down with a knee injury, but the honor is still deserved.<\/p>\n
23. Cincinnati Bengals (4-10) Previous Week: 22<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: WR Ja\u2019Marr Chase<\/p>\n
With a fully healthy season, this honor likely goes to quarterback Joe Burrow, but following his turf toe injury and a disastrous season, Chase is the true stand-out player on this roster in a tough season. Even with a rotating circus at quarterback, he\u2019s up at the top in both receptions and receiving yards. I guess that\u2019s what happens when you\u2019re the most targeted pass catcher in football by a wide margin\u2026 Now we\u2019ll see how many changes are made during the offseason.<\/p>\n
24. Atlanta Falcons (5-9) Previous Week: 24<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: RB Bijan Robinson<\/p>\n
The Falcons are in the midst of another disappointing season, but on the plus side, some of their highly drafted offensive weapons have shown up in significant ways. Tight end Kyle Pitts stole the headlines on Thursday night, but Robinson has been their most consistent (and best) player all season. Coming out of Texas, the Top 10 pick was one of the more promising offensive prospects. It hasn\u2019t always been consistent, but he\u2019s broken the 1,000-yard rushing mark for a second straight season. Not only is he a Top 5 rusher, but he\u2019s also on pace to break the 800-yard receiving mark. It\u2019s safe to say that he\u2019s living up to his lofty draft status from 2023.<\/p>\n
25. Washington Commanders (4-10) Previous Week: 29<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: OT Laremy Tunsil<\/p>\n
2025 has been nothing short of a disaster in Washington. Just one year after shocking the entire league with a trip to the NFC Championship game, the questionable roster construction and aging players caught up to them in a big way. The good news is that Washington has plenty of cap flexibility, but keeping quarterback Jayden Daniels healthy will be the tricky part. With so many players coming back down to earth, Tunsil gets the nod here. He\u2019s still one of the better left tackles in the league, even if he\u2019s over the age of 30.<\/p>\n
26. New Orleans Saints (4-10) Previous Week: 28<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: LB Demario Davis<\/p>\n
New Orleans is very much in a much-needed transition, and although they still have a lot to sort through, it\u2019s good to see them finally picking a direction (at least to a certain extent). Chris Olave was the runner-up here, but with such an inconsistent offense this year, Davis stood out as the most deserving player on the team. It\u2019s still hard to believe that he was somewhat of a flier free agent, and has consistently played like one of the best linebackers in the league. Something tells me that a year from now, there will be much more competition on this front.<\/p>\n
27. Cleveland Browns (3-11) Previous Week: 25<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: DE Myles Garrett<\/p>\n
Was there a more obvious call to make than Garrett? He\u2019s 1.5 sacks away from tying the NFL record with three games remaining. The Browns have plenty of young talent to be excited about, but having the league\u2019s best edge rush helps keep their defensive unit in the Top 10 in the league. Breaking the record feels like a foregone conclusion, but he\u2019s a great building block to have on such a young team that could see quite the breakout in 2026.<\/p>\n
28. Arizona Cardinals (3-11) Previous Week: 26<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: TE Trey McBride<\/p>\n
The trend at the bottom of this list is all about disappointment. The Cardinals are no different, and it hasn\u2019t helped that Arizona\u2019s quarterback situation has been challenging to follow most of the year. Even so, McBride has continued to be the most consistent force on the offensive side of the ball and has proven to be one of the best tight ends in football. With Marvin Harrison Jr. missing time on and off this season, McBride\u2019s presence in the passing game has been a must.<\/p>\n
29. New York Giants (2-12) Previous Week: 27<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: DE Brian Burns<\/p>\n
Complete disasters for football teams in New York City (or East Rutherford, New Jersey)… Sound familiar? Yeah, I thought so. Even with the young, promising players they have, the second half of the season hasn\u2019t gone as planned with quarterback Jaxson Dart. Despite the impressive bevy of defensive linemen, the defense has not delivered many quality performances this year. That said, Burns has been worth everything and more since they traded for him, and 2025 has been no different.<\/p>\n
30. New York Jets (3-11) Previous Week: 30<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: K Nick Folk<\/p>\n
Not a lot has gone right for the Jets in Year 1 of a new regime, and after trading away two of their best players, nominating a kicker just feels right. To be fair, Folk has been outstanding this year, but any time a team loses this many games and lacks standout players, it shows how far away they are from contention. First-year general manager Darren Mougey sensed that and decided to sell off his valuable pieces at the deadline. For that, he deserves plenty of credit. We\u2019ll see how things look this time next year. For now, the Jets should be sending their kicker to the Pro Bowl and nothing more.<\/p>\n
31. Tennessee Titans (2-12) Previous Week: 31<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: OG Peter Skoronski<\/p>\n
Not much has gone right for the Titans, including the fumble of yet another highly drafted quarterback. Firing their head coach in-season hasn\u2019t paid off, but they\u2019ll be banking on the upside of this roster to land them one of the top head coaches. On the plus side, Skoronski has rounded into one of the better guards in the league, which was much-needed when they took him so high in the 2023 NFL draft. We\u2019ll see if rookie quarterback Cam Ward can experience a big Year 2 jump next season.<\/p>\n
32. Las Vegas Raiders (2-12) Previous Week 32<\/p>\n
Most Deserving Pro Bowler: DE Maxx Crosby<\/p>\n
The Raiders are a mess and might be looking at another reset this offseason. If they were smart, they\u2019d rip the band-aid off and do what the Jets did and trade their star players for value. For now, their team is headlined by Crosby, and 2025 has been no different. Crosby\u2019s numbers aren\u2019t quite as impressive as they have been, but he doesn\u2019t have much talent to work with. He\u2019d get back quite the haul for Vegas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As we trend toward the start of January, the playoffs draw closer, and the weather grows colder. Week…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":605532,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2070],"tags":[374,692,391,7333,2493,7,6],"class_list":{"0":"post-605531","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chicago-bears","8":"tag-bears","9":"tag-chicago","10":"tag-chicago-bears","11":"tag-chicago-bears-power-rankings","12":"tag-chicagobears","13":"tag-football","14":"tag-nfl"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/115729866933852424","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/605531","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=605531"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/605531\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/605532"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=605531"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=605531"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=605531"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}