Now that the Super Bowl teams have been determined, the NFL will need to replace a portion of the Pro Bowl roster.
In all, 10 new players will be needed.
For the AFC, four Steelers will need to be replaced: linebacker James Harrison, safety Troy Polamalu, defensive end Brett Keisel, and center Maurkice Pouncey. (If the Jets had pulled out a late comeback, the league likely would have needed to replace Polamalu and Pouncey, anyway. Polamalu has been slowed for several weeks with an Achilles’ tendon injury. Pouncey suffered a leg injury on Sunday and did not return.)
In the NFC, six Packers won’t be packing their bags for Honolulu: tackle Chad Clifton, safety Nick Collins, receiver Greg Jennings, linebacker Clay Matthews, and cornerbacks Tramon Williams and Charles Woodson.
Already, Jennings has been replaced by Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald. The rest of the moves will come quickly, since all Pro Bowl players will be heading to Hawaii soon.