Getty Jamal Agnew returns a kickoff for a score in 2019.
The Detroit Lions have several players who have made a case for being Pro Bowl candidates, but so far, only one man looks to have a chance at breaking through to the big game.
After Pro Bowl voting was opened up, thus far, Detroit cornerback Jamal Agnew was the only player to be at top 10 in voting for his position. Agnew is getting respect via votes for his work at returner, but sadly he’s the only one who is seeing this type of love.
Here’s a look at what Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press wrote about where the Lions stand in terms of voting:
“Just one Lions players ranks among the top 10 Pro Bowl vote-getters by position: Return man Jamal Agnew, who’s fifth among returners overall and fourth in the NFC.
Agnew was a Pro Bowl alternate as a rookie in 2017, when he returned two punts for touchdowns and earned All-Pro status, but he had a disappointing 2018 season, when he battled a knee injury for much of the season.
This year, Agnew has been up and down. He returned a kick for a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles, but is averaging just 5.9 yards per punt return and is currently sidelined with an ankle injury.”
Agnew’s injury might be something which prevents him from squaring away the honor this season, but for now, he is the only Detroit player that seems to be in the early mix for Pro Bowl love. That is mildly shocking given the other players the Lions have on their roster that have done damage so far this season.
Jamal Agnew’s Stats With Lions
The Lions uncovered a potential hidden gem when they found Agnew in the fifth round of the draft in 2017. He quickly burst on the scene as an electric returner and in his career has managed to rack up 916 return yards in his career with three touchdowns. Two of those scores came in his rookie season, when he was named an All-Pro special teams player. In 2019, the Lions managed to get a 100 yard kickoff return for a score from Agnew to help in defeating the Philadelphia Eagles on the road.
Agnew’s stats as a cornerback are much more limited given he hasn’t played much there through the years. In his career in the NFL, he has only defended a pass and has 17 tackles to his credit. Obviously, the Lions prefer to save Agnew for the special teams given his electrifying moves. It’s obvious that is what fans know about him thus far in his career most of all.
Other Lions Pro Bowl Candidates
If the Lions fans want to get some of their favorite players in the mix, they need to get moving in terms of voting. Names like Marvin Jones, Kenny Golladay, Matthew Stafford and perhaps even Darius Slay are deserving, but it’s hard to tell that given how the voting has gone so far. If anything, Golladay deserves to go to the game given all he has done thus far this season on the field for Detroit’s offense.
Fan voting for the 2020 NFL Pro Bowl closes on December 12, 2019. In other words, Lions fans only have a few more short weeks to make their voices heard.
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