It took a few extra weeks, but the Saints contingent at the Pro Bowl will be a trio, with center Erik McCoy the latest addition as an alternate.
McCoy will take the place of Lions center Frank Ragnow, who will not participate due to injury. The Saints also had LB Demario Davis added in place of Fred Warner of the 49ers, joining Rashid Shaheed, who was named to the initial team as a return specialist.
The award is the first for McCoy, a mainstay on the Saints OL since the team traded up to pick him early in the second round of the 2018 draft. He was the Saints' first selection, with that year's first-rounder traded away in the previous year's draft. The rookie had big shoes to fill ahead of Drew Brees following the abrupt retirement of Max Unger.
McCoy appeared in every possible game over his first two seasons, but battled leg injuries in 2021 and 2022, which forced him to miss 9 games over those two seasons. He was able to kick those issues this past season, appearing in 17 games snapping the ball to quarterback Derek Carr. The Saints offensive line surrendered just 20 sacks in the 2023 season, the lowest total in the NFC and second lowest in the NFL.
The 2024 Pro Bowl will be a multi-day NFC vs AFC competition held in Orlando, Florida culminating on Feb. 4. The event features a variety of skills games, but no actual tackle football. Both sides will participate in a flag football game to close out the event, with Eli and Peyton Manning serving as coaches for the second consecutive season.
