We came across this little tidbit awhile ago, but today we’re going to focus on it for our NFL Thursday column. First off, among active players, the most Pro Bowl selections “record” belongs to offensive tackle Trent Williams (2012-2018, 2020-2023). However, two current players have Pro Bowl streaks of at least nine consecutive nods. One should not surprise you; the other one most certainly will.

First, the “expected” one: Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (2015-2024). His streak began with Alex Smith at quarterback, and it has continued through the shift to Patrick Mahomes as the QB starter (2018-2024). Kelce has been a force at his position, posting almost receiving 11,300 yards in those ten straight Pro Bowl years, along with 72 touchdown receptions. No one really debates his primacy among NFL TEs today.

Now, who is the other guy?

None other than San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk. That’s right; he has nine consecutive Pro Bowl nods (2016-2024), despite never posting more than 3 AV in a season throughout his career, which started in Baltimore (2013). His first Pro Bowl came as a member of the Ravens (2016), and he has been with the 49ers ever since then (2017-current). He clearly has been selected for these honors for more than his statistics.

In these nine Pro Bowl campaigns, he has caught 221 passes (including five TD catches), while running for just 234 yards and six TDs. Clearly, his perceived value comes from blocking and pass protection, but it’s hard to quantify those contributions, and the Approximate Value (AV) mark above doesn’t really reflect it, either. So, how do we really know this isn’t just a popularity context for the nine-time Pro Bowl fullback?

His 2,395 yards from scrimmage in these nine seasons is paltry, of course, compared to “normal” running backs, yet maybe his value can be shown in the success of the rushing offense during these years:

  • 2016: Baltimore ranked 28th in rushing yards
  • 2017: S.F. ranked 21st
  • 2018: S.F. ranked 13th
  • 2019: S.F. ranked 2nd
  • 2020: S.F. ranked 15th
  • 2021: S.F. ranked 7th
  • 2022: S.F. ranked 8th
  • 2023: S.F. ranked 3rd
  • 2024: S.F. ranked 12th

His teams have been all over the place, really, so there’s no reason to suspect why he was chosen for his first two Pro Bowls, for example. He certainly is a fan favorite in San Francisco; there’s no doubt about that. However, why so much Pro Bowl love from his peers? Well, they must recognize some things that are not quantifiable in the sabermetrics, obviously: commitment, effort, leadership, support, and teammate value.

We know the Pro Bowl itself has become kind of a joke in the NFL these days, with mediocre players getting invitations after first, second, and third choices decline for whatever reasons—plus the fact that making the Super Bowl precludes participation, as well. Still, in the annals of history, Juszczyk is an interesting case study to illustrate a handful of different ideas in the sport: sabermetrics can’t measure everything in football.