The NFL will announce 88 Pro Bowl players on Tuesday night.
A Bears roster that just three months ago seemed like one of the strongest in the league might now have only a few, if any, players selected. At least at first — the all-star game is notorious for filling up with injury replacements.
Pro Bowl players selected Tuesday will be decided by three equal voting blocs: coaches, players and fans. No Bears player led his position in the fan vote.
Here’s a look at the most likely Bears candidates:
• Wide receiver Allen Robinson’s 83 catches rank 10th in the league and 1,023 receiving yards 13th. He has been the only consistently outstanding player on a disappointing offense. He’s reached the Pro Bowl once, when he led the league with 14 receiving touchdowns and caught 1,400 yards worth of passes in 2015.
• Receiver Cordarrelle Patterson could make the Pro Bowl as a special teamer. He leads the NFL with 799 kick return yards and has a 102-yard touchdown return, the longest this season. The Bears have touted his skill as a “gunner” on the punt team — a player that splits wide and is the first downt he field to make a tackle.
• Cornerback Kyle Fuller has played another fine season. He was tied for the NFL lead with seven interceptions last year, but has posted only three in 2019. Still, his steady play and stout tackling makes him one of the Bears’ top defenders. His 897 snaps leads the unit — slightly ahead of safety Eddie Jackson. Like Fuller, Jackson has been solid, if unspectacular, after reaching the Pro Bowl in 2018. He has only one interception this season.
• Outside linebacker Khalil Mack could get in on reputation, though his 7½ sacks are his fewest since his rookie season in 2014. He’s considered the most valuable player on the Bears’ defense, week in and week out.
