Through the first two weeks of Pro Bowl fan voting, five Washington Commanders players are in the top 10 at their respective positions: wide receiver Terry McLaurin, defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, punter Tress Way and long snapper Cam Cheeseman.
Leading the way for Commanders players is Way, who is second among all NFL punters. Way has cemented himself as one of the game’s best punters in recent years and this season is no different, as the 32-year-old is tied for second in punts inside the 20-yard line. Way’s only Pro Bowl appearance came in 2019.
Way’s partner in crime, Cheeseman, also appears on the early fan voting list at seventh in the NFL.
McLaurin, whose production has surged under backup Taylor Heinicke, is seventh in the NFL and third among NFC wideouts. Through 12 games, McLaurin has tallied 54 receptions for 840 yards and two touchdowns. The fourth-year wideout is on pace for a career-high in receiving yards.
Allen and Payne, Washington’s impenetrable duo in the middle of the defensive line, are eighth and ninth, respectively. Among NFC defensive tackles, Allen and Payne are fourth and fifth.
Allen, considered one of the top interior defensive lineman in the NFL, is on pace for a career-high in sacks with 6 1/2 through 12 games. Payne, meanwhile, is having the best season of his career with 6 1/2 sacks. Payne has never made a Pro Bowl, while Allen made his first Pro Bowl last season.
The leading vote-getter in the NFL was Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who tallied 90,313 votes. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes led all signal-callers with 87,384 votes, while Giants running back Saquon Barkley led all running backs with 83,947.
Fan voting for the Pro Bowl ends Dec. 15. Starting Dec. 1, fans can vote on Twitter by tweeting the first and last name of the player and the hashtag #ProBowlVote.
Pro Bowl rosters are decided by a combination of votes by fans, players and coaches — each group accounting for one-third of the overall vote.
• Jacob Calvin Meyer can be reached at jmeyer@washingtontimes.com.
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