Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith has revealed he thought he had been selected for the NFL Pro Bowl, only to discover that he had missed out.
Smith branded it a ‘slap in the face’ that not a single Miami Dolphins player had made it on to the AFC roster.
The tight end was one of four Dolphins stars to finish in the top 10 of fan votes for their respective positions. But players and coaches also have a say in who makes the final roster.
And in the end, Chiefs star Travis Kelce and Raiders rookie Brock Bowers were selected among tight ends in the AFC.
On Thursday, Smith spoke out about his omission. When asked whether he thought he would make the cut, the 29-year-old said: ‘I thought I did’.
‘It’s my first time ever being recognized for a respectable honor,’ said Smith, who leads Kelce in receiving yards, touchdowns, yards per reception and catch percentage.
‘Congratulations to the all the guys that made it, it was deserving. I guess that’s just how these deals work, man.’
Smith was less diplomatic on the failure of a single Dolphins player to make the AFC roster.
Fullback Alec Ingold, special-teamer Siran Neal and kicker Jason Sanders all finished in the top 10 of the fan voting.
‘I definitely felt that was kind of a slap in the face – I felt a few guys were deserving for sure,’ Smith said.
‘At the end of the day, we play this game to win championships. And pro bowls, that’s extra that comes with it. So at the end of the day, we’ll laugh about it for a few minutes or so but we have work to do this weekend.’
The 8-8 Dolphins still have a slim chance of reaching the postseason ahead of this weekend’s season finale against the New York Jets.
