Brady Latest, Certainly Not Last, Player Out of Pro Bowl

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady became the latest player to pull out of the Pro Bowl citing injury, joining teammate Wes Welker, Miami T Jake Long, Buffalo S Jairus Byrd, Dallas C Andre Gurode, Chicago LB Lance Briggs and Arizona WR Larry Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald's withdrawal was announced Wednesday, as was Brady's. Texans quarterback Matt Schaub was named Brady's replacement, with Giants receiver Steve Smith claiming Fitzgerald's spot.

(Update: St. Louis running back Steven Jackson also dropped out of the game, citing injury concerns. The 49ers' Frank Gore will replace him. Tennessee QB Vince Young will take Philip Rivers spot -- Rivers withdrew Wednesday as well. )

There will likely be more dropouts in the near future, further watering down the NFL's all-star game, which is set for Jan. 31 in MIami as a precursor to Super Bowl week. The Pro Bowl has traditionally been played in Hawaii the week after the Super Bowl. The change, designed to pull the event together with all of the usual Super Bowl hoopla, could wind up severely diluting the talent pool.

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With the Pro Bowl taking place between conference-championship weekend and Super Bowl Sunday, no members of either Super Bowl team will be able to participate.

To put that in perspective, of the current Pro Bowl rosters, 25 players come from the four teams playing this weekend: 10 from the Vikings, six from Indy, five from New Orleans and four from the Jets. Should we wind up with a Minnesota-Indianapolis Super Bowl, the NFL will have to do some serious scrambling to fill out the Pro Bowl rosters, especially on the NFC side.

Regardless of the outcome in the NFC championship, at least three alternates will have to be promoted to the NFC's Pro Bowl squad -- there are currently three positions where both the Saints and Vikings are represented: quarterback, tackle and guard.

Either Brett Favre or Drew Brees will have to withdraw from the Pro Bowl after Sunday, opening a spot for Eagles QB Donovan McNabb, who is the NFC's first alternate at that position. A similar situation occurs with Minnesota's Bryant McKinnie and New Orleans' Jonathan Stinchcomb at tackle (New York's David Diehl is the first alternate), and with the Vikings' Steve Hutchinson and Saints' Jahri Evans at guard (New York's Chris Snee is the first alternate).

There's a similar conflict in the AFC as well: both AFC centers will play on Sunday, Nick Mangold for the Jets and Jeff Saturday for the Colts. Baltimore's Matt Birk would take the vacated spot there.

Schaub's addition Wednesday gives the AFC a Pro Bowl quarterbacking trio of Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers and Schaub -- though, as just mentioned, Manning might not be able to participate. Schaub threw for 4,770 yards this season with 29 touchdowns, and nearly led Houston to its first playoff appearance.

"It's an incredible honor," Schaub said. "It's the highest honor in my opinion you can get in this league. It says a lot about our team and what we were able to accomplish this year."

Smith had 107 catches in 2009 and becomes the first Giant to make the Pro Bowl as a wide receiver since Homer Jones in 1968.

"It's a little bittersweet, because obviously I wish I was playing in the game a week after the Pro Bowl," Smith said. "But I know my teammates and I will work hard this offseason to put ourselves in position for a much better 2010 Giants season."