20 candidates to become first-time Pro Bowlers, plus NFL’s Comeback Player award gets update

Have a good mid-week everyone! John Breech is enjoying the summer sun, so you have me, Cody Benjamin, to deliver all the latest news from around the world. NFLright here in the Pick Six newsletter.

Be sure to sign up here to ensure you never miss a daily dose of NFL updates. And read on for everything from a look at potential first-time Pro Bowlers to an update on a big NFL prize.

1. 20 candidates to become Pro Bowlers for the first time

There is no more widely recognized accolade for NFL players than a Pro Bowl nod. So which emerging standouts are ready for their first all-star selection in 2024? We identified 20 candidates ahead of the new season. Here’s an example of rising talent to watch:

• Packers QB Jordan Love: Few gunslingers have been as dazzling in 2023, and now Love has another full offseason of preparation under his belt, armed with a young, versatile corps of wide receivers. His big arm could be a big play machine.
• RB Breece Hall Jets: Just 23 years old, Hall returned to the lineup upon returning from injury in 2023, but has been extremely efficient and explosive when given a full workload. Aaron Rodgers’ return should also help his production.
• Vikings WR Jordan Addison: He was flashy as a rookie, even dealing with an injury-caused quarterback merry-go-round, and now he should have a healthier Justin Jefferson by his side. With TJ Hockenson also in rehab, his targets could skyrocket.

Find the full list of 20 Pro Bowl candidates right here.

2. The NFL’s Comeback Player Award gets an update

Months after Joe Flacco won the Comeback Player of the Year award for his unlikely success off the bench for the Cleveland Browns, the Associated Press – which annually votes for the NFL’s top award winners – clarified the criteria for the prize. Returning Player honors, the AP said, are intended to highlight players “overcoming illness, physical injury or other circumstances that caused them to miss playing time the previous season.” In other words, AP voters no longer want to prioritize players who simply returned from…irrelevance.

3. Kansas takes step to attract bosses across state lines

The Kansas City Chiefs reside in Missouri and have plans to remain in the state for decades to come. That doesn’t stop Kansas from making a serious move to attract the kingship Super Bowl champions beyond the border. State lawmakers this week approved STAR (sales and revenue tax) bond legislation that would essentially allow the state to pay for up to 70% of a new stadium project for the Chiefs. This comes months after voters in Jackson County, Missouri, rejected a sales tax measure that would have helped fund major renovations to Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs’ home since 1972.

4. Ravens giving Jackson more control at the line

Lamar Jackson won his second MVP award working under offensive coordinator Todd Monken in 2023. Now, the Baltimore Ravens are giving the star quarterback even more control on your side of the ball. Jackson, Monken and quarterbacks coach Tee Martin recently confirmed that callers will have more freedom to change calls on the line in 2024, with sonic possibilities taken “to the next level.”

5. Rodgers’ former teammate: Jets ‘for sure’ in playoff

Aaron Rodgers enters 2024 having played just four snaps for the New York Jets, reaching 41 and coming off a torn Achilles tendon. Even so, Gang Green has reignited talks about a possible title shot this offseason. Now, one of Rodgers’ key former teammates has joined the cause, with former Green Bay Packers All-Pro David Bakhtiari predicting the Jets “definitely” will make the playoffs in 2024: “I don’t think it’s very wise for any bettor to say Aaron Rodgers won’t make the playoffs.”

6. Falcons adding Blank, Ryan to Ring of Honor

Arthur Blank is the current owner of the Atlanta Falcons, and Matt Ryan just retired from the NFL this offseason. Both big names are officially joining the franchise’s Ring of Honor, however, becoming the first two-person induction class for the club in 15 years. Blank, 81, has owned the Falcons since 2002. Meanwhile, Ryan spent 14 of his 15 NFL seasons as Atlanta’s quarterback, helping the team advance to the Super Bowl in 2016. His inductions will officially take place during two Falcons games this year.