Getty Antoine Winfield Jr. of the Buccaneers was snubbed for the Pro Bowl.
Antoine Winfield Sr. knows a little bit about getting himself selected for the Pro Bowl. He did it three times during his 14-year NFL career as a cornerback with the Bills and Vikings.
So when he sees a Pro Bowl injustice, don’t be surprised when he calls it out. And when that injustice centers around his son, Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr., well, look out.
This week, it was announced that Winfield was not among the league’s Pro Bowl selections. Only one Buccaneers player—receiver Mike Evans—received a nod, but more than one deserved it. Specifically, Antoine Winfield Jr., perhaps the best safety in the NFL.
One guy who did get a spot was Cardinals safety Budda Baker. And that really got under the senior Winfield’s skin.
“WE DEMAND A RECOUNT,” wrote on Instagram, via Greg Auman of Fox Sports. “NFL somebody has some explaining to do!!! Aint’ NO WAY in HELL Buddha Baker goes to the Pro Bowl ahead of My lil man with NO STATS. I know how important Pro Bowls are on the Resume & it just so happens to be his Contract year. We ain’t going for the Bullsh**. Somebody Need to Holla at me.”
Antoine Winfield Sr. Is understandably unhappy about his son’s Pro Bowl snub tonight:
Antoine Winfield Jr. Is 2nd-Graded Safety in NFL
It’s never easy to judge defensive players by numbers alone, but in the case of Antoine Winfield Jr., it is obvious how important he is to the Buccaneers defense. He is a very good cover man who is the best in the league at run support and blitzing from the safety position.
He has three interceptions, five forced fumbles and five sacks. He had 117 tackles and seven quarterback hits.
At Pro Football Focus, which grades players on every play of the season, Antonine Winfield Jr. has a 90.7 grade this year, and has played 1,047 defensive snaps. That’s the second-highest grade for any of the 97 safeties that qualify in the NFL. Baker’s grade is 64.9, 53rd of 97 safeties, and he has played 708 snaps.
“I’ve been around. I’ve been blessed to be in this league for a few years and I’ve been around a lot of good safeties, but he’s going to be right there [at the top],” Buccaneers defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers said at practice on Thursday. “From my standpoint, this guy should be up for All-Pro, this guy should be in the conversation for defensive MVP and he [doesn’t] make the Pro Bowl? We don’t get to decide that but we know what he means to us. He does it week in and week out.”
Buccaneers Contract Hurt by Pro Bowl Snub?
For Antoine Winfield Jr. himself, he popped on Twitter/X to log his own reaction, which might have been pretty similar to that of his father, except he kept it short.
“Hmm,” he wrote with a wondering emoji.
Hmm, indeed. Selection to the Pro Bowl might not matter much to him or to any other player, but it can be a factor when it comes time to negotiate a new contract for free agents. And, as Antonine Winfield Sr. indicated, his son is a free agent in March.
It is unclear whether the Buccaneers can afford to sign the younger Winfield to a new contract. But if they do, he would be wise not to include any Pro Bowl incentives in his deal.
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Antoine Winfield Sr. Rips NFL, Rival DB in Buccaneers Pro Bowl Controversy