The 49ers have a Pro Bowl starter, and no, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo isn’t the player.
Though Garoppolo has taken the Bay Area by storm over the past three weeks, it takes more than a few games to play with the league’s best. On Tuesday evening, Garoppolo’s offensive teammate, fullback Kyle Juszczyk, was selected to represent the franchise in Orlando, Florida at the end of the year while four other players were named as alternates.
Juszczyk was the only 49ers player named a starter in this year’s Pro Bowl, while tackle Trent Brown, kicker Robbie Gould, running back Carlos Hyde and tackle Joe Staley were all selected as alternates. Juszczyk is making his second consecutive trip to the Pro Bowl, and is the first 49ers’ fullback to earn a Pro Bowl nod since Fred Beasley did so back in 2003.
Though Brown will be unable to play in the Pro Bowl due to a season-ending shoulder injury that landed him on injury reserve, the other four 49ers remain healthy and just need to make it through the team’s final two regular season games to have a shot at playing in Orlando.