Most Pro Bowl Appearances By Position

Most Pro Bowls ever is by QB Tom Brady with 15 selections. Brady earned his first Pro Bowl honors in his second year with New England Patriots.

Since then, he has been voted for almost every year from the 2001 to 2021 season. He moved to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2020 season.

QB Brady was selected for 10 straight PB games from 2009 to 2018. Last time, he was invited to the 2021 PB. 

The 7-time SB winner has earned 14 PB selections with the Patriots and 1 with the Buccaneers before his NFL retirement.

Peyton Manning come second, and he is a Hall of Famer who made his first PB debut with the Colts in his second year. Similarly, Saints legend Brees earned his first selection in 2004 with the Chargers. 

QBs in PB most times are listed below:

RB Barry Sanders has the highest selections with 10. Sanders was named to the PB roster from 1989 to 1998.

Here is the list of runnings backs who received the most invitations:

• Barry Sanders – 10 
• Walter Payton – 9
• Franco Harris – 9
• Jom Brown – 9
• Emmitt Smith – 8
• Adrian Peterson – 7
• Marshall Faulk – 7
• Kyle Juszczyk – 6
• LeSean McCoy – 6
• Mike Alstott – 6

Sanders played running back for the Detroit Lions from 1989 to 1998. He was selected to the PB for 10 straight seasons.

NFC’s Walter Payton earned a nine-time Pro-Bowl selection from 1976 to 1980, and then from 1983 to 1986. It is the second-most PB appearance by a Running back.

Similarly, AFC’s Franco Harris also had the second-highest record with 9 PB invitations from 1972 to 1980. He earned back-to-back 9 appearances since he joined the Chicago Bears in 1975.

Jets Wide receiver AI Toon played his first PB in his second year. Toon was voted to three straight Pro-Bowls from 1986 to 1988.

Wide Receivers with the most PB selections are:

• Jerry Rice – 13
• Larry Fitzgerald – 11
• Matthew Slater – 10
• Tim Brown – 9
• Marvin Harrison – 8
• Cris Carter – 8
• James Lofton – 8
• Paul Warfield – 8
• Tyreek Hill – 7
• A.J. Green – 7

Jerry Rice earned the most consecutive selections with 13 in 1986 to 1996, and then in 1998 in his 20-year career. 

One of the greatest wide receivers of all time, Jerry Rice earned his final selection in the 2002 season. That year, he helped the Raiders to win a Super Bowl. 

The WR who appeared for the second most PB is Larry Fitzgerald who played 11 games in 2005, from 2007 to 2013, and from 2015 to 2017. 

Similarly, the third place is shared by Matthew Slater and Tim Brown, who both played 9 matches. Slater was the only special teams player on the list as he played as a gunner and not a receiver.

A.J. Green became the first rookie receiver to make a PB appearance in eight years in his first season with Benglas in 2012.

Most Bs all time by tight ends is recorded by Tony Gonzalez who played 14 times from 1999 to 2008 and from 2010 to 2013. Jason Witten follows Tony with 11 selections.

Tight Ends that got the most honors are listed below:

• Tony Gonzalez – 14
• Jason Witten – 11
• Travis Kelce – 8
• Antonio Gates – 8
• Shannon Sharpe – 8
• Charlie Sanders – 7
• Steve Jordan – 6
• Jimmy Graham – 5
• Rob Gronkowski – 5
• Ben Coates – 5

Tony made 10 PB appearances as a Chiefs and the rest of 4 appearances with the Falcons from 2010 to 2013.

With 11 Pro Bowl invitations, Jason Written became the second most of any TE in NFL history. Meanwhile, Kansas City Chiefs’ Travis Kelce and Los Angeles Chargers’ Antonio Gates shared third place with 8 selections. 

Bruce Matthews is the all-time offensive lineman for Tennessee Titans with 14 Pro Bowl invitations. Will Shields is second with 12.

Offensive linemen with the most appearances are:

• Bruce Matthews – 14
• Will Shields – 12
• Randall McDaniel – 12
• Jim Otto – 12
• Jonathan Ogden – 11
• Larry Allen – 11
• Willie Roaf – 11
• Anthony Munoz – 11
• Tom Mack – 11
• Trent Williams – 10

Bruce Matthews’s selections occurred after his first five seasons with the Titans. Matthews was selected for 14 straight honors from 1988 to 2001.

Similarly, Randall McDaniel was named to 12 consecutive Pro-Bowls from 1989 through 2000. Larry Allen and Jonathan Ogden tied for the third most highest elections with 11.

Most Bowl appearances as a defensive lineman is by Merlin Olsen. He played 14 times in his career from 1962 to 1975. 

Defensive Linemen who appeared for the highest number of times are:

• Merlin Olsen – 14
• Reggie White – 13
• Bruce Smith – 11
• Bob Lilly – 11
• Gino Marchetti – 11
• Joe Greene – 10 
• Randy White – 9
• Alan Page – 9
• Aaron Donald – 8
• Cameron Jordan – 8

Hall of Famer Defensive lineman Olsen was the only player to play in the Pro-Bowl more times than anyone else with 15 selections but missed the last season of his career.

Eagles’ Reggies also received the second most selections i.e. 13 along with eight first-team All-Pro honors. Only DL Bruce Smith, Bob Lilly, and Gino Marchetti share the honor of appearing 11 times in history.

Linebacker with the most career PB honors is Ray Lewis with 13 selections. Lewis spent his entire career with the Baltimore Ravens.

Lewis started his career in 1996 and played 17 seasons for Ravens before retiring in 2012.

Here is the list of LBs with the most selections:

• Ray Lewis – 13
• Junior Seau – 12
• Derrick Brooks – 11
• Mike Singletary – 10
• Lawrence Taylor – 10
• Joe Schmidt – 10
• Derrick Thomas – 9
• Harry Carson – 9
• Jack Lambert – 9
• Chris Hanburger – 9

The second-best record was set by LB Junior Seau, who has received 12 PB invitations. Derrick Brooks received 11 PB selections, and it was the third-best record for an NFL Linebacker.

Champ Bailey and Ken Houston are the two cornerbacks who have the most PB selections with 12 each. Rod Woodson is next with 11 selections.

• Champ Bailey – 12 
• Ken Houston – 12
• Rod Woodson – 11
• Ronnie Lott – 10
• Mel Renfro – 10 
• Ed Reed – 9
• Charles Woodson – 9
• Brian Dawkins – 9
• John Lynch – 9
• Mike Haynes – 9

The only CB with 12 PB invitations, Champ Bailey spent most of his career with the Denver Broncos. Bailey played his first PB match in 2000 with the Redskins.

Since then, Bailey had been voted for every year except for 2008 when he was out with an injury.

Ronnie Lott and Mel Renfro came second in the position of being selected in the PB 10 times. On the other hand, Ed Reed, Charles Woodson, Brian Dawkins, and John Lynch were named in 9 selections during their professional career.

The Safeties with the most PB selections are Ken Houston and Ronnie Lott with 12 and 10. Yale Lary, John Lynch, Ed Reed, and Emlen Tunnell have 9 selections each.

• Ken Houston – 12
• Ronnie Lott – 10
• Yale Lary – 9
• John Lynch – 9
• Ed Reed – 9
• Emlen Tunnell – 9
• Troy Polamalu – 8
• Earl Thomas – 7
• Harrison Smith – 6
• Dennis Smith – 6

Ken Houston is the record holder for the most PB selections as a safety with 12. He earned seven of them with the Redskins from 1973 to 1979 and five with the Oilers before that. 

Similarly, Ronnie Lott earned the second most PBs with 10 honors from 1981 to 1984, and then from 1986 to 1991.

Most Pro Bowl Appearances are by NFL players Tom Braady, Peyton Manning, Jerry Rice, Merlin Olsen, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton, and Champ Bailey.