Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders will replace injured Falcons receiver Julio Jones on the 2015 Pro Bowl roster, the NFL announced on Thursday. With the addition of Sanders, Denver now has 10 Pro Bowlers, an NFL-high this year that ties a team-high set in 1998.
Sanders caught 101 passes for 1,404 yards and 9 scores in his first season in Denver, a place he called "wide receiver heaven" when he signed with the team last March.
Dissecting C.J.'s Run
Dissecting C.J.'s Run
Sanders joins teammates Peyton Manning, Ryan Clady, Julius Thomas, Demaryius Thomas, Von Miller, DeMarcus Ware, Chris Harris, Aqib Talib, and T.J. Ward on the roster. Manning, however, is not expected to participate due to his quad injury.
With the addition of Sanders, all four of John Elway's big free agent signings from a year ago—Ware, Talib, Ward, and Sanders—made the Pro Bowl in their first year with their new team. This marks just the second time in NFL history that has happened (Carolina, 1996).
If any one of the six running backs on the Pro Bowl roster (including Marshawn Lynch) are unable to play in the game, Denver's remaining Pro Bowl alternate, C.J. Anderson, would be a candidate to be called up. That would give the Broncos 11 Pro Bowlers, setting a new franchise record.
NFL legends Michael Irvin and Cris Carter will serve as the two team captains for this year's unconferenced Pro Bowl. They will select their teams from the Pro Bowl roster on Wednesday, Jan. 21 at 6 p.m. MT on NFL Network.
The Pro Bowl will be played a week before Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday, Jan. 25. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.