5 Cowboys headed to Vegas
Two of the Dallas Cowboys’ youngest stars were each selected as Pro Bowl starters, the NFL announced Wednesday night.
Second-year cornerback Trevon Diggs, who leads the league with 10 interceptions and linebacker Micah Parsons, the NFL rookie leader in sacks with 12, highlight a five-player group headed to Las Vegas on Feb. 6 for the all-star game.
Left tackle Tyron Smith, right guard Zack Martin and punter Bryan Anger also made the team. Martin and Anger are also starters.
Parsons’ season along with Diggs has been electric. Parsons picked up a sack in six of the last seven games and leads the Cowboys with 10 tackles for loss and 32 quarterback pressures. He also owns the franchise record for sacks in a season by a rookie. The last time a Cowboys rookie defensive player was named to the Pro Bowl was linebacker Leighton Vander Esch in 2018.
Diggs is the first Cowboys cornerback selected as a starter since Deion Sanders in 1999. Former cornerback Byron Jones was selected as an alternate to the Pro Bowl in 2018.
Diggs picked off a pass in the first seven weeks of the season and is turning into one of the NFL’s most dominating defensive players along with Parsons.
Joining Diggs and Parsons as starters will be Martin, who will make his seventh trip to the Pro Bowl. It’s the second-most appearances for a Cowboys guard (Larry Allen has nine) and ties him with former defensive end DeMarcus Ware for the eighth-most trips in franchise history.
Smith was named to his eighth Pro Bowl appearance, tying him with Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith for the sixth-most in franchise history.
Anger makes his first appearance in the Pro Bowl and is the fourth punter in franchise history named to the team. The last time a punter made the Pro Bowl from the Cowboys was Mat McBriar in 2006 and 2010. Anger leads NFL punters with a 43.9 net average.
In other notable selections:
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady was chosen for a record 15th time. He had been tied for first in Pro Bowl berths with tight end Tony Gonzalez, quarterback Peyton Manning, offensive lineman Bruce Matthews and defensive tackle Merlin Olsen. Brady, 44, leads the NFL in passing yards (4,134) and touchdown passes (36).
• The Indianapolis Colts led the league with seven selections — three players on offense (running back Jonathan Taylor, center Ryan Kelly, guard Quenton Nelson), three on defense (tackle DeForest Buckner, linebacker Darius Leonard, cornerback Kenny Moore II) and one on special teams (long snapper Luke Rhodes).
• Quarterback Justin Herbert earned his first Pro Bowl spot — and will be the AFC starter — as one of six Los Angeles Chargers honored. The Kansas City Chiefs also had six players chosen, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes.