Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson earned a trip to the Pro Bowl this year by setting a new single-season record for receiving yards, but he won’t be playing in the game.
Johnson has pulled out of the Pro Bowl to rest the nagging injuries he picked up over the course of the season. At the end of the regular season, Johnson said he would be taking some time to decide whether or not he would get on the field in Honolulu and the decision obviously fell on the side of precaution.
The Buccaneers announced that Vincent Jackson will take Johnson’s spot on the NFC roster. He joins Brandon Marshall of the Bears as the only receivers to make the Pro Bowl in the AFC and NFC in consecutive seasons.
Jackson led the NFL with an average of 19.2 yards per catch in 2012 and he set a franchise record with 216 receiving yards in a game. He joins defensive tackle Gerald McCoy to give the Bucs multiple Pro Bowlers for the first time since 2008.