For the first time in his 18-year career, Joe Flacco was named as an AFC quarterback for the Pro Bowl Games. Even though he’s far from his prime, Flacco was named as an alternate after many other passers declined to attend the event. The 41-year-old is one of the oldest players ever nominated to the Pro Bowl, but he doesn’t top the list.
Who Is The Oldest Player To Make The Pro Bowl?
Unsurprisingly, the honor goes to Tom Brady, who was selected for the game at 44. But he’s tied with another player: John Carney, a kicker who spent over two decades in the league and was nominated during the 2008 season as a member of the New York Giants.
Brady earned his final Pro Bowl selection in the 2021 season. Already a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he had broken dozens of NFL records at the time. This was also his only Pro Bowl selection with the Buccaneers; he holds the NFL record for most Pro Bowl selections with 15, but all his others came with the New England Patriots.
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Carney played in the league from 1988 to 2010 for eight different franchises, and he only made the Pro Bowl twice. The first time was in 1994, and the second in 2008; on both occasions, he was also voted to the All-Pro team.
Flacco is the sixth-oldest player ever to be selected to the Pro Bowl, tied with Matt Bryant (2016) and Warren Moon (1997). Naturally, given the nature of the positions, quarterbacks and kickers are more likely to be selected at an advanced age, though Jerry Rice made the Pro Bowl at 40 in 2002.
Joe Flacco’s Pro Bowl Selection Shows The Current State Of The Game
The Pro Bowl has lost popularity in recent years. Players no longer want the physical contact of a game with no competitiveness. Selections such as Joe Flacco and Shedeur Sanders for the 2025 season show how much the Pro Bowl has lost in value over the past few years.
Flacco ended the year with 15 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 2,479 yards, and 60.3% of passes completed. He was ranked at No. 36 in our PFSN QB Impact Grade, with a 67.1 grade. The Browns were unbothered to let him go midseason, even trading him to a divisional rival. This is clearly not one of the best quarterbacks of the season.
The Pro Bowl used to be a special occasion for players and fans, but at this point, it seems likely that the game will be scrapped sooner rather than later. Despite the league’s efforts to keep it relevant, the players don’t care anymore.
