Aaron Donald has made the team for the fourth time in his four NFL seasons.
The Rams’ outstanding season got recognition Tuesday, when five of their players were selected to the NFC Pro Bowl roster. Those players now will hope to miss the game.
Running back Todd Gurley, defensive tackle Aaron Donald, return specialist Pharoh Cooper, kicker Greg Zuerlein and punter Johnny Hekker are scheduled to represent the Rams at the Pro Bowl.
The NFL’s annual all-star game will be played Jan. 28 in Orlando, on the weekend between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl. The Rams would prefer to still be playing, and have their players removed from the Pro Bowl roster, but for now, they will be well-represented.
Rams quarterback Jared Goff is a first alternate, and almost certainly will get a nod because one of the NFC quarterbacks, Philadelphia’s Carson Wentz, is out with a torn ACL. Rams tackle Andrew Whitworth also is a first alternate, and cornerback Trumaine Johnson is a second alternate.
The biggest surprise for the Rams, who are 10-4 and one victory away from an NFC West title, probably was the exclusion of veteran Rodger Saffold, who has had an excellent season at guard.
Donald now has been selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his four NFL seasons, and Hekker earned a spot for the fourth time in the past five years. Gurley made the game as a rookie in 2015. This is the first selection for Cooper and Zuerlein.
“Obviously in my first year it meant a lot,” Gurley said in an interview on NFL Network, “but just being out here, having the season we had last year, and being able to have some teammates with me in the Pro Bowl, this year is going to mean a lot to me.”
Pro Bowl selections were made through a combination of player, coach and fan voting. The Rams, right now, have their most Pro Bowl players since 2003, when six players were selected.
In the fan portion of voting, Gurley, Donald, Zuerlein, Hekker and Cooper received the most votes among NFC players at their respective positions. Gurley received the sixth-most votes among all NFL players and Goff received the eighth-most votes, although he finished third among NFC quarterbacks.
In a statement, Rams coach Sean McVay said, “The presence of five of our players on the Pro Bowl roster is a testament to the collective effort of our football team. While we emphasize football as a team sport, we appreciate their individual contributions to our overall success. We’re extremely proud of them, and it’s great to see other players, coaches and fans recognize their achievements as well.”
