The irony is certainly not lost on Jason Kelce.
The Eagles' center has made the Pro Bowl twice, in 2014 and 2016 — two years he considers to be the worst of his career. This year, when Kelce is having what might be his best NFL season, he didn't make the cut.
"It's pretty ironic that the two years I don't think I deserve to go, I end up going," said Kelce, who missed four games in 2014 after sports hernia surgery and got off to a horrible start in 2016.
Kelce and defensive end Brandon Graham were a little disappointed Wednesday, the day after the NFL announced the Pro Bowl rosters and they weren't included. Both have had Pro Bowl caliber seasons to this point and are widely considered the biggest Eagles' "snubs."
But both understand.
"I think it's all about the numbers," Graham said. "Because when you're voting, all you see is the numbers. Sometimes when I'm voting and I didn't see a guy, I'm like 'damn, he had that much? I'm going to vote for him.' Or if it's somebody I know, I'm going to vote for him. It's just all about who you know and who had the top numbers."
Graham has 9 1/2 sacks this season. The three NFC defensive ends chosen over him all have more. Demarcus Lawrence has 13 1/2, Everson Griffen has 13 and Cameron Jordan has 10.
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Graham's impact with the Eagles is pretty unquestionable, but maybe a half a sack kept him out of his first-career Pro Bowl. That's a shame, but sometimes that's just the way these things shake out.
In Kelce's case, the two guys in front of him — Alex Mack from Atlanta and Travis Frederick from Dallas — were certainly deserving. And Kelce understands that. He praised both Wednesday.
Anyway, the veteran center was happy for offensive line teammates Brandon Brooks and Lane Johnson, who were both named to their first Pro Bowls.
"Those guys have been great for some time now," Kelce said. "For them to finally get their first go at it is awesome."
There's still a chance Kelce and Graham could become Pro Bowlers this season. Both are alternates for the game — a couple years ago Malcolm Jenkins made it as a seventh-alternate.
But as it stands now, the Eagles have six Pro Bowlers: Johnson, Brooks, Carson Wentz, Zach Ertz, Fletcher Cox and Jenkins.
This year's Pro Bowl will be on Jan. 28 in Orlando. That's the week before the Super Bowl, so the Eagles are hoping they won't be available for the exhibition game. Jenkins said he doesn't plan on playing.
"That's the goal," Kelce said, "that nobody gets to play in this game."