Packers: David Bakhtiari proves why Pro Bowl voting is a joke

NFL players will be the first to tell you that the Pro Bowl voting is a bit of a joke. More often than not, it’s a celebrity contest. It’s more about the name of the players than what their actual output is on the field.

For example, when Khalil Mack was playing for the Chicago Bears in 2019, he recorded just 8.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, and 47 total tackles. He made the Pro Bowl over Green Bay Packers edge rusher Preston Smith, who recorded 12 sacks, 11 TFL, and 56 total tackles.

Smith should’ve been given an invitation but because Mack is more “popular,” he got the invite.

The Packers actually know a lot about how poor the Pro Bowl voting is. Just ask David Bakhtiari.

Bakhtiari is arguably the best left tackle of the decade. He has been named an All-Pro five times in his soon-to-be 10-year career (two first-team selections, three second-team).

Do you know how many Pro Bowls big No. 69 has been selected to? Just three.

Everyone that is involved with the NFL knows that All-Pro selections are more impressive than the Pro Bowl, especially because a lot of veteran players who are selected to the Pro Bowl choose not to partake in the event. But the fact that Bakhtiari has been named to an All-Pro team five times in just nine seasons is ridiculous.

All Bakhtiari needs to complete a great career is a Super Bowl ring. He’s performed at an elite level for a long time when protecting the blindside of Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. But if great players like Bakhtiari have more All-Pro selections than Pro Bowls, then there is a big problem with how the voting works.

Pro Bowls aren’t the biggest factor in determining who has a Hall-of-Fame resume, but they are definitely a piece of it. They are part of a player’s legacy. The NFL needs to amend the Pro Bowl voting if it wants to ensure the best way to create opportunities for its players in furthering their legacies.