When Pro Bowlers for the 2024 season were initially announced, the New Orleans Saints were one of four teams without a Pro Bowl player. The news wasn’t entirely shocking, because the Saints had a horrible season as a team, finishing 5-12, and many of the franchise’s best players were sidelined with injuries throughout the year. Of course, there were a couple of guys that had solid seasons, but no one that could really argue they were being snubbed.
Now that the league has reached the week of the Pro Bowl games, several spots on the Pro Bowl roster have opened up. Between the players that are headed to the Super Bowl, and the guys that are still healing after a long season, the league has been extending Pro Bowl invitations to other quality players.
One invitation has finally made it to New Orleans. Starting center Erik McCoy, who was a Pro Bowler in 2023, is returning for a second straight year, filling in as a replacement for Philadelphia Eagles center Cam Jurgens.
.@Erik_McCoy_73 is headed to the #ProBowlGames! pic.twitter.com/wzz1i6Inhx
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) January 27, 2025
Saints center Erik McCoy is going to the Pro Bowl
McCoy only played in seven games this season, and his absence at the center of the offensive line is a big reason why New Orleans’ offense looked the way it did throughout the season. He proved his value as an elite center when he was on the field, and when he was off the field.
Despite him already being an elite player, PFF recently named him the most-improved Saints player this season, because he “led all centers with a 94.2 grade, the highest grade for a center since Jason Kelce earned a 94.4 grade in 2017.” Simply put, when he was on the field, he was elite. When he wasn’t on the field, the Saints very clearly missed his elite abilities.
Now he’ll spend the week with the league’s other elite players, then he’ll focus on preparing for next season. For the Saints to get things turned around, they’ll need Erik McCoy and other key players to be healthy.