Dak Prescott declines invite as Pro Bowl loses pair of Cowboys stars
UPDATE: Since the publishing of this article, the Cowboys announced that guard Zack Martin will also not be attending the Pro Bowl.
Although their season came to a frustrating close, the Dallas Cowboys made several big turnarounds this year. For starters, they went from a 6-10 record to a 12-5 record. They also went from having zero Pro Bowl selections in 2020 to five official selections and one alternate this year. That alternate, CeeDee Lamb, was named an official starter on Monday in place of Rams WR Cooper Kupp.
The other five Cowboys to be chosen were Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs, and Bryan Anger. However, Dallas will not be sending all six of their men to Las Vegas for the league’s all-star game. On Monday, Smith revealed that he is backing out of what would be his eighth Pro Bowl in order to help further heal his ankle injury.
Cardinals offensive tackle D.J. Humphries (initially selected as an alternate) will take Smith’s place. This is the first Pro Bowl game in the Cardinal’s seven-year career.
But, Smith wasn’t the only member of America’s Team who was offered a chance to play in this year’s game and declined. It was reported that quarterback Dak Prescott was given a chance to be an alternate thrower for the game and declined in order to get some much-needed rest.
With Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson added to NFC Pro Bowl roster today, I'm told Dak Prescott passed on playing to give himself some rest after a long year of rehab from the ankle, calf and other ailments that cropped up during the season.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) January 31, 2022
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and OT Tyron Smith both opt out of Pro Bowl to increase rest and heal from injuries
When looking for players to replace Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady, Prescott turned down the chance to appear in his third Pro Bowl in order to have a full offseason of rest. The Cowboys QB1 earned Pro Bowl honors in his rookie season (2016) and in 2018. Last offseason, he spent the entirety of his “downtime” rehabbing his ankle injury that required two surgeries to repair.
This season, Prescott hurt his shoulder in training camp and strained his calf in the Week 6 win against the New England Patriots. While it’s fun to take part in the weekend and represent your team, it is understandable that Prescott wants to use the time to continue to rest.
Kirk Cousins and Russell Wilson will head to Las Vegas to represent the NFC instead. Although only five Cowboys will now attend the Pro Bowl, they still represent an NFL team with one of the most selections only behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts.
