Five members of the San Francisco 49ers are heading to Las Vegas for the 2021 NFL Pro Bowl, announced on Wednesday, December 22.
Although, there could have been a sixth.
The five selections — Defensive end Nick Bosa, left tackle Trent Williams, wide receiver/running back Deebo Samuel, tight end George Kittle and fullback Kyle Juszczyk — not only earned their nods off of stellar play, but through fan votes.
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However, one notable 49er who has played at a high level on offense wasn’t mentioned among the contingent of S.F. representatives — and took to social media to voice his disappointment.
Laken Tomlinson Snubbed
Offensive guard Laken Tomlinson, who dreamed of playing in the famed All-Star game, was the snub.
The 29-year-old left guard Tomlinson has been putting together his best season to date. He began to make his social media push to garner enough votes to get to the Pro Bowl, even listing some of his field credentials.
Hey Faithfuls! It’s ya boy Lake!
It’s my DREAM to go to the pro bowl. RETWEET to vote for ME, aka
💪🏾 76 consecutive starts @ LG
🚫 0 sacks
🇯🇲 rapping Jamaican
👟 only miss snaps after losing shoe
🥞 PANCAKES
🍩 victory donuts?!
🏈 TRENCHWARFARE!
Tomlinson, who first entered the league as a first rounder to the Detroit Lions out of Duke, held the claim of being one of the few offensive linemen to not surrender a sack this season.
Tomlinson even took on Indianapolis Colts Pro Bowler Darius Leonard and the result ended like this:
Laken Tomlinson is a genuinely good guy. Here, he gives Darius Leonard a free ride to a local pumpkin patch. Selfless.
Per The Athletic’s Matt Barrows, a flurry of fans began to vote the 6-foot-3, 315-pound into the top five.
“It looks like there was a flurry of late voting by fans. Laken Tomlinson, who wasn’t in the top 10 among guards a couple of weeks ago, is now fourth (and second in the NFC),” was what Barrows tweeted on Monday, December 20.
Tomlinson wasn’t the only 49ers trench star who cracked the top 10.
“Daniel Brunskill, who was No. 7, is now No. 10,” Barrows added.
Unfortunately, Tomlinson wasn’t listed among the three guard picks for the contest. The trio who were selected to help anchor the NFC offensive line were:
- Zack Martin: Dallas Cowboys
- Brandon Scherff: Washington Football Team
- Ali Marpet: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tomlinson took to his personal Twitter account at 6:36 p.m. PT on Wednesday when the roster lineups were announced.
“Hey Faithfuls! Just wanted to say thank you so much for voting for me for the Pro Bowl. Y’all definitely showed ya boy some love! I’m disappointed that this wasn’t finally my year, but grateful to be an alternate. I’ll just keep doing my job as always,” was what Tomlinson tweeted.
Support Followed for Tomlinson
After the tweet from Tomlinson, he received one reaction from a fellow lineman teammate of his in Mike McGlinchey.
@laken77 Absolutely snubbed
Fellow 49ers teammate Jacquiski Tartt was another who offered support for Tomlinson.
Former 49ers lineman Joe Staley, who earned six Pro Bowl appearances during his 13 seasons in the NFL, also let it be known who the biggest Pro Bowl snub was for 2021.
Even members of the Bay Area media criticized the fact Tomlinson was snubbed. Jake Hutchinson of KNBR 680 AM was one of them.
John Chapman, creator of the 49ers Rush podcast, was another who called Tomlinson a snub.
If there was supposed to be a sixth Pro Bowler on the 2021 49ers roster, Tomlinson would’ve been the guy. Now, he joins this list of Pro Bowl alternates from S.F.
#49ers Pro Bowl Alternates: G Laken Tomlinson, C Alex Mack, ST Trenton Cannon, DT Arik Armstead, LB Fred Warner, P Mitch Wishnowsky, FS Jimmie Ward
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49ers Offensive Star ‘Disappointed’ in 2021 Pro Bowl Snub