Chiefs LB Tamba Hali Not A Pro Bowler After All

We heard the news this week that Kansas City Chiefs LB Tamba Hali had been named to the 2011 Pro Bowl as an alternate. We then later heard that Hali will not play in the game for personal reasons.

So is he still a Pro Bowler even though he's not playing?

Nope.

A league spokesman tells me a player named to the Pro Bowl as an alternate, who is subsequently replaced for injury or personal reasons, does not get credit for the Pro Bowl season.

So, technically, Hali is not a Pro Bowler.

It's different for players that are missing the game because of the Super Bowl. Steelers' Brett Keisel is a Pro Bowl replacement but isn't playing in the game because they're in the Super Bowl. He does get credit for a Pro Bowl year.

Well, we are not the NFL, so around here, we do recognize Hali as a Pro Bowler.

(H/T KC Star's Upon Further Review, who brought this topic up earlier today)