Washington Football Team: Two players make 2020 Pro Bowl roster

The Washington Football Team will once again be represented at the Pro Bowl!

There won’t be a physical Pro Bowl this season, due to COVID-19 restrictions, but the voting carried on, nonetheless. Players will continue to be recognized for their exemplary performance, and this year, the Washington Football Team was once again represented by multiple players, though those players might not be who you expect.

It’s important to keep in mind that, with the Pro Bowl, name recognition does play a hand in the selection, and players on a similar plane might be separated by their relative notoriety. That worked to Washington’s benefit and detriment.

The Washington Football Team had two players named to the 2020 Pro Bowl, one on offense, and one on defense. The offense will be represented, once again, by stalwart right guard Brandon Scherff. The defense will be represented by rookie defensive end Chase Young.

Young has 5.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, and a defensive touchdown through 13 games. The selection of Young is easily the most exhilarating, and also the most surprising. But delving deeper into the pick, it’s clear why Young was chosen.

While Young hasn’t been quite as dominant as more established edge rushers this season, he’s been very impactful, and even before he was made the No. 2 overall pick, he had a great deal of notoriety from his dominance at Ohio State. It just shows that Young is already a star, even as he continues to grow. That’s what makes his potential so exciting.

Young is the first Washington Football Team rookie to make the Pro Bowl since Robert Griffin III did it in 2012, and he’s the first defensive rookie to earn the honor since fellow edge rusher Brian Orakpo accomplished the feat in 2009. Young isn’t even one of the top edge defenders in the league yet, but he’s trending in that direction, and that makes perennial recognition well within his grasp.

Scherff, meanwhile, is a mainstay on the Pro Bowl roster. 2020 will be his fourth time earning the title of Pro Bowler, and his second consecutive appearance on the Pro Bowl roster after also making the team in 2019. Scherff has played in 11 games this season, and he’s been his usual steady self on the offensive line. He’s allowed just two sacks and incurred just two penalties, and his rock-solid consistency has helped the line perform better than expected in spite of injuries.

Notable Pro Bowl snubs for the Washington Football Team include Terry McLaurin, Montez Sweat, Jonathan Allen, and Tress Way. You could also make a case that Antonio Gibson, Logan Thomas, Morgan Moses, and Daron Payne could have received consideration.

But Pro Bowl bids don’t define a team’s caliber. Rather, they simply reflect recognition directed toward certain players. Washington is a budding playoff contender, and in time, as they win more games, their unheralded stars will start to get more national praise.