Seahawks defensive tackle Leonard Williams is in his 10th NFL season and has been recognized for years as one of the best at his position. But he’s only made the Pro Bowl once, in 2016. And he’s not happy about that.
“It’s pretty disappointing, if I’m being honest,” Williams said after Pro Bowl rosters were announced on Thursday, via ESPN.
Williams thinks he was deserving, although he didn’t name which of the NFC defensive tackles chosen (the Giants’ Dexter Lawrence, Buccaneers’ Vita Vea or Eagles’ Jalen Carter) he thought was less deserving.
“I feel like I definitely deserved it this year, but I’m happy for the guys that made it,” Williams said. “They equally deserved it. That’s why they’re in the Pro Bowl.”
Williams is an alternate, and alternates usually end up getting invited to the Pro Bowl Games because so many players drop out, but he said making it because someone else drops out wouldn’t be the same.
“Honestly, I don’t care at this point,” he said of being an alternate.
For as much as the Pro Bowl itself has lost its luster over the years, it’s still an honor to the players who are selected. And it’s an honor Williams thinks he should have had more than once in a decade-long career.
