When it comes to voting for the Pro Bowl, some fan bases are better than others at stuffing the ballot box, and we know that because there were a few surprises when the NFL released the latest Pro Bowl voting numbers this week.
The No. 1 vote-getter so far is none other than Tua Tagovailoa, which is a huge surprise, considering Tua wasn't even in the top five the last time the NFL released a vote count back on Nov. 28. At the time, Patrick Mahomes was the top vote-getter at the QB position in the AFC, but now, he's dropped to third overall and the second-ranked QB.
With that in mind, here's a list of the top-five Pro Bowl vote-getters through Dec. 7:
1. Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa: 138,390
2. Vikings WR Justin Jefferson: 137,826
3. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes: 133,607
4. Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill: 83,576: 132,100
5. Chiefs TE Travis Kelce: 131,378
The key difference between the Nov. 28 vote count and the one that was released Wednesday is that the NFL started counting Twitter votes on Dec. 1, which means Tua apparently has a lot of fans on Twitter.
As for other positions, there are some fascinating nuggets to share:
The NFC quarterback with the most votes is Jalen Hurts, which actually makes a lot of sense, considering he's the QB of the team with the best record in the NFL and because the Eagles have a rabid fan base. Hurts has garnered 107,990 votes so far. One surprise so far is that in both the NFC and AFC, a rookie is leading the vote at cornerback. In the AFC, the Jets' Sauce Gardner currently has the most votes among all corners while Seattle's Tariq Woolen holds that honor in the NFC. The Dolphins, Chiefs and Vikings currently have the most players leading the vote at their position with five each.It's also worth noting that the VIKINGS have received the most overall votes of any team, followed by the 49ers, Dolphins, Ravens and Chiefs.
The Pro Bowl is undergoing a major change this year. Instead of a standard NFL game, the Pro Bowl will be a week-long celebration that will include multiple events. In the week leading up to the game, players will participate in multiple skills competitions. The week in Las Vegas will conclude Feb. 5 with a flag football game between the AFC and NFC that will be coached by Peyton and Eli Manning.
Although a lot will be changing, one thing that won't be changing is the fact that fans still have a say in who makes it to the game. The fan vote counts one-third toward determining the final roster, with players and coaches also voting. Fan voting for the Pro Bowl will run through Dec. 15 while
