The NFL just announced its Pro Bowl rosters. See which Dolphins players made it
Jonnu Smith is used to being overlooked.
Case in point: during his sophomore year at Florida International University, he lead all tight ends in yards receiving, receptions and touchdowns yet wasn’t considered a finalist for the John Mackey Award. So when the NFL announced their 2025 Pro Bowl rosters and not a single Dolphin was featured, the star tight end wasn’t necessarily surprised.
“I definitely feel that was a slap in the face for a lot of guys because guys are deserving for sure,” Smith said Thursday. “At the end of the day, we play this game to win championships and Pro Bowls, that’s extra that comes with it. We’ll laugh at it for a few minutes or so but we got work to do this weekend.”
Highlighted by players such as Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels and Saquon Barkley, the NFL announced the 2025 Pro Bowl rosters on Thursday morning and totally absent were Dolphins. Arguably the worst part: at least three former Dolphins — Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, Houston Texans tackle Laremy Tunsil and Pittsburgh Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick — made the the Pro Bowl on their respective teams.
This comes just days after four players — Smith (fifth), kicker Jason Sanders (10th), special teams player Siran Neal (10th) and fullback Alec Ingold (fourth) — finished in the top 10 at their respective positions in the final fan vote tally. In addition to them, there were several other deserved players including defensive tackle Zach Sieler, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and Smith.
“Zach is a hell of player,” defensive line coach Austin Clark said Thursday. “Keeps getting better every week. this year, being a leader. Zach is a deserving player, as a pass rusher and run defender.”
At 8-8, the Dolphins have had a tumultuous season to say the least. Miami started 2-6 after the team lost franchise quarterback Tua Tagovailoa to a concussion in Week 2. Tagovailoa’s return coincided with a spark in the offense, but the Dolphins still couldn’t immediately beat teams — namely the Arizona Cardinals and Buffalo Bills. The Dolphins, however, have been 6-2 since and have a chance at the playoffs if the Denver Broncos lose to the Kansas City Chiefs and the Dolphins beat the New York Jets.
This year’s Pro Bowl rosters are a far cry from 2024 when the Dolphins, which owned the NFL’s best offense statistically, sent six players — tackle Terron Armstead, wide receiver Tyreek Hill, fullback Alec Ingold, running back Raheem Mostert, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and quarterback Tua Tagovailoa — to Orlando.
While these were just the first crop of names to be released, there’s still a chance that a Dolphins player makes it as an alternate. Keep in mind: players opt out all the time due to injury and/or their participation in the Super Bowl.
Smith or Sieler would likely be best the candidate considering their tremendous 2024 seasons. His 828 yards receiving not only set a franchise record for tight ends, it also ranks fourth at his position across the league. Smith also set new franchise positional marks for touchdowns (seven) and receptions (79).
“I want that,” Smith said of a Pro Bowl appearance weeks ago.
Sieler, on the other hand, is amid a career season as well. The star defensive tackle’s 8.5 leads the team and ranks 19th across the league. Sieler also has a career-high 12 tackles for loss despite missing two games with a fractured orbital bone.
“I was surprised that nobody made it but you got to win ball games,” defensive tackle Calais Campbell said, calling both Sieler and Smith “worthy” of the selection. “If you don’t win enough ball games early on, that affects all those accolades and stuff too. I know it’s supposed to be an individual award it really isn’t; it’s a team award.”
Players, fans and coaches each account for one-third of the Pro Bowl rosters vote. The Baltimore Ravens lead all teams with nine selections followed by the Detroit Lions (seven) and Philadelphia Eagles (six).
This story was originally published January 2, 2025 at 10:23 AM.
