Which Indianapolis Colts players will make their Pro Bowl debuts this season? One thing’s for sure: it won’t be Quenton Nelson. The star guard out of Notre Dame has been named a Pro Bowler in each of his first six seasons in the NFL. Yes, that’s a pretty impressive accomplishment.
It won’t be Ryan Kelly, either. One of the league’s top centers, he has made the Pro Bowl four times in his career thus far. Other Colts Pro-Bowlers include defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, running back Jonathan Taylor, and cornerback Kenny Moore II. Kicker Matt Gay also received the honor in 2021 as a member of the Los Angeles Rams. Here are a few players who might represent Indy during the 2024 campaign.
3 Indianapolis Colts Players Who Could Make Their First Pro Bowl This Season
Zaire Franklin
Colts general manager Chris Ballard is often criticized for not spending money on outside free agents. But he has made several brilliant draft decisions since he arrived in 2017. Selecting linebacker Zaire Franklin (seventh-round pick in 2018) was one of those choices.
Franklin has been a staple of the Colts defense over the past two years. In 2022, the first season of a three-year extension, he set a new single-season franchise record with 167 total tackles. He was great once again last season, recording 170 combined tackles, good for second-best in the NFL.
Franklin was a Pro Bowl snub in each of the past two seasons. But don’t be surprised if things change in 2024 and he finally gets his recognition. He’s too good to go another year without getting selected.
Michael Pittman Jr.
Michael Pittman Jr. was drafted by the Colts in the second round of the 2020 draft. It seems like he has played with a million different quarterbacks since joining the league. He has teamed up with seven starting QBs: Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan, Sam Ehlinger, Nick Foles, Anthony Richardson, and Gardner Minshew. That’s quite a long list in just four years. Yet, that hasn’t distracted him from becoming one of the league’s top wide receivers.
Last season was the best one of Pittman’s career. The USC product caught 109 passes for 1,152 yards. Ballard and the Colts rewarded him this offseason with a $70 million contract. Look for him to be even better in 2024 and make his first-ever Pro Bowl appearance.
Anthony Richardson
Wait a minute, did that subtitle read, “Anthony Richardson?” Is that the same Anthony Richardson who struggled during this year’s preseason? Yes, we’re talking about that, Anthony Richardson. Sure, the young quarterback looked a bit rusty in the preseason, but that doesn’t mean he’ll have a horrible regular season as well.
Richardson only played four games as a rookie due to injury. He showed flashes, though, of becoming a superstar in the brief time that he did play. If he can somehow stay healthy this year, he could emerge as a Comeback Player of the Year candidate with the Colts. And a Pro Bowl selection this season isn’t impossible, either. Again, he must avoid the injury bug, which he failed to do in 2023.
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