49ers are now America’s Team, not the Cowboys

One of the most remarkably dominant performances from the 49ers this season did not happen on the field but in a virtual ballot box.

The Niners lead the NFL in Pro Bowl selections this season with nine: quarterback Brock Purdy, running back Christian McCaffrey, fullback Kyle Juszczyk, tight end George Kittle, offensive tackle Trent Williams, defensive end Nick Bosa, linebacker Fred Warner, cornerback Charvarius Ward and defensive lineman Javon Hargrave. With the exception of Hargrave, every other San Francisco player was listed as a starter at their respective positions.

It would make sense that perhaps the best team in the NFC would lead the conference in selections for this game, but it seems to be more than just the record. After all, following that logic, the Ravens should be leading the league in total Pro Bowlers. While Baltimore has seven selections, only three are starting. 

There’s also the fact that Purdy and McCaffrey got the highest, and second-highest, total of fan votes, respectively. Kittle finished fourth, ahead of Travis Kelce, arguably the highest-profile NFL player at this moment. Out of the 20 positions fan could vote on, the Niners had 15 players finish first in their position — though the fans determine just one-third of the actual Pro Bowl vote, meaning coaches and players put other guys over the top.

In total, San Francisco players received 1.14 million votes. The next highest total was for the Cowboys, with about 895,000 — nearly a full quarter of a million votes behind the 49ers.

The only conclusion to make here is that the Niners have officially become America’s Team, a designation they should hold onto until further notice.