It took longer than it should have, but Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams has been given the honor he should have received weeks ago – he’s headed to the Pro Bowl.
The 30-year-old Williams was named an NFC replacement on Monday for Philadelphia’s Jalen Carter, whose Eagles will be readying for the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Williams put together a campaign worthy of Defensive Player of the Year consideration, so he was a pretty egregious snub from the Pro Bowl when the initial rosters were announced on Jan. 2.
The 6-foot-5, 300-pound USC product had his best season in his 10 years in the NFL, logging 11 sacks, 28 QB hits, 64 total tackles, and a career-high 16 tackles for loss. He also tied his career-best marks with 37 solo tackles, three passes defensed and an interception, and that pick was especially notable as he returned it 92 yards for a touchdown – the longest pick-six in recorded NFL history by a player of 300 pounds or more.
Williams is now a two-time Pro Bowler, as he previously received the honor in 2016, his second year in the NFL with the Jets. Williams was drafted No. 6 overall in the first round by New York in 2015.
Following the initial Pro Bowl roster reveal earlier this month, Williams called his snub “pretty disappointing.”
“I feel like I definitely deserved it this year, but I’m happy for the guys that made it,” Williams said to reporters on Jan. 2. “They equally deserved it. That’s why they’re in the Pro Bowl.”
Williams was named an alternate at the time.
The Seahawks now have two players on the official Pro Bowl roster, with Williams joining cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who made the Pro Bowl for the second time in as many seasons in the league.
Williams joined the Seahawks during the 2023 season in a trade from the New York Giants, coming to Seattle in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick. It was the second time in his career that he was dealt ahead of the NFL’s annual trade deadline in October, as he was previously sent from the Jets to the Giants in 2019.
The Seahawks re-signed Williams last offseason to a three-year contract worth a reported annual salary of $21.5 million.
The 2025 Pro Bowl Games will take place in Orlando from Jan. 30 through Feb. 2, beginning with the Skills Showdown at 4 p.m. Thursday airing on ESPN. The Pro Bowl Games Championship is set for noon Sunday and airing on ESPN and ABC.
