2022 NFL Pro Bowl: Tom Brady first ever to be named 15 times as league gives sneak peek at first five

Tom Brady is running out of NFL records to break, but on Monday, the 44-year-old quarterback did just that. Brady was named to the Pro Bowl for a record 15th time when the NFL revealed the first five players who have been selected to participate in the 2022 Pro Bowl. 

Along with Brady, Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald, Rams receiver Cooper Kupp, and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce were also named to the Pro Bowl during Tuesday’s announcement from Las Vegas. The rest of the Pro Bowl rosters will be announced Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET. on NFL Network. 

While no one has more Pro Bowl selections than Brady, this season marks Brady’s first Pro Bowl invite since 2018. The three-year drought is the longest between Pro Bowl selections for Brady, whose laundry list of career achievements also includes three league MVP awards and five Super Bowl MVP trophies. 

Brady and Taylor are among the NFL’s top MVP candidates with three weeks remaining in the regular season. In Saturday’s win over the Patriots, Taylor strengthened his case to be the first running back to win the award since Adrian Peterson took home the honor in 2012. Taylor rushed for 170 yards on 29 carries that included a 67-yard touchdown run to clinch the Colts’ 27-17 victory. The 41st overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Taylor leads the NFL in carries (270), rushing yards (1,518) and touchdown runs (17). His play has led the Colts to an 8-6 record after an 0-3 start. 

Like Taylor, Cupp is head and shoulders ahead of his peers as far as statistics are concerned. The five-year veteran leads all NFL receivers with 113 receptions for 1,489 yards and 12 touchdowns. 

And while Cupp’s defensive teammate has had better statistical seasons, Donald continues to wreak havoc on opposing offenses while solidifying his status as one of the NFL’s top players. Donald had a season-high three sacks in the Rams’ Week 14 win over the Cardinals to move his season tally to 10 sacks. An eight-year veteran, Donald is just 4.5 sacks away from the century mark. 

Kelce, a Pro Bowler for a seventh straight year, is coming off one of the best games of his career when he caught 10 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns in the Chiefs’ overtime win over the Chargers last Thursday night. During the game, Kelce went over the 1,000-yard receiving barrier for the sixth consecutive season. 

The 2022 Pro Bowl will take place on Feb. 6 at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Raiders, which is also the site of Super Bowl LVIII in 2024.