As the calendar turned from 2024 to 2025, the Miami Dolphins were preparing for their final game of the regular season and handing out team awards with Pro Bowl announcements coming.
The NFL announced the entire list of Pro Bowl players on Thursday, and for the Dolphins, not a single player is on the roster.
There could be arguments made about the fact Miami has had a horrible year, considering where they were expected to be at this point in the season. Despite the fact they are still alive in the playoff race, the Dolphins didn't do much to stand out this season.
Miami is not landing anyone in the Pro Bowl; however, it is surprising that there are a few players who deserve a spot on the roster. Starting with Zach Sieler.
Miami Dolphins Pro Bowl snubs from the 2024 NFL season
1. Zach Sieler put in a Pro Bowl season, without question
Sieler was awarded the Dolphins team MVP award in 2024. He had a spectacular season, and if the Dolphins had played as a team at his level, they would have won the division. Sieler made that kind of impact in 2024.
The three names that were Pro Bowl players above him were Cam Heyward, Nnamdi Madubuike, and Chris Jones. Here are the comparison numbers.
Player | Sacks | Tackles | QB Hits | PD | TFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sieler | 8.5 | 49 | 17 | 2 | 12 |
Madubuike | 6.5 | 39 | 16 | 1 | 10 |
Jones | 5 | 37 | 20 | 0 | 9 |
Heyward | 8 | 70 | 20 | 8 | 12 |
Sieler's numbers are as good or better than both Madubuike and Jones but what held him back is name recognition and the Dolphins record. Add to this the fact Miami didn't beat anyone truly noteworthy all year, Sieler got lost in a name game.
2. Jalen Ramsey sees four-year Pro Bowl streak come to an end
For the first time in the last four seasons, Ramsey will not be a Pro Bowler. It is only the third time in his entire career that he did not make the roster, and the other two times were due to his health, having missed most of those two seasons. This year, Ramsey was healthy and didn't make it.
Ramsey has a good season for the Dolphins, but again, like Sieler, he gets lost in the Dolphin's on-field performance as a team.
3. Jonnu Smith was never going to make the Pro Bowl in 2024
Smith would have needed to have more than just a career year in 2024; he would have needed a Hall of Fame season to make the Pro Bowl. While Smith was fantastic for the Dolphins and had the best season for a Dolphins tight end in team history, the Pro Bowl only puts two TEs on the roster.
Those spots went to Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, which was expected, and Las Vegas Raiders rookie Brock Bowers, who put in a HOF-type season. The rookie was incredibly good and broke both TE and receiving records for rookies in 2024.
Smith's season was fantastic for the Dolphins, but it was a hard hill to climb, given the other two players that made it. So, was Smith snubbed for the Pro Bowl? There is a case over Kelce. Kelce is a popular player, but this year, Smith was statistically better.
Comparatively speaking, Smith did far more with fewer opportunities than Kelce did. Smith was the fourth-ranked TE in the NFL in receiving yards this year and third in touchdowns. He just doesn't have Kelce's name and recognition.
Player | Targets | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Jonnu Smith | 99 | 79 | 828 | 7 |
Travis Kelce | 133 | 97 | 823 | 3 |
4. Terron Armstead stayed healthy most of the year, but it wasn't enough to get him on the roster
Armstead has had a fantastic career, and there is an argument to be made about his Pro Bowl seasons. The Dolphins left tackle has been on the roster five of the last seven seasons despite missing games in each of those years. This season, Armstead has missed all but two games but he didn't make the Pro Bowl.
It shouldn't be shocking that he didn't because there are better left tackles in the AFC. If this season proves to be his last in the NFL, he will go out knowing he gave everything he had to the team and to the league.
While he may have been "snubbed" from the Pro Bowl roster, the competition was pretty good in front of him, with Dion Dawkins, Rashawn Slater, and former Dolphin Laremy Tunsil taking the three tackle spots.