![Jaguars long snapper Ross Matiscik (46) and punter Logan Cooke (9) talk during pregame warm ups. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Houston Texans at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida Sunday, December 19, 2021. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]
Jki 121921 Bsjagsvstexans 3](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_2924,h_1644/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/55/01jgkrhhx3ze0w2tk6r0.jpg "Jaguars long snapper Ross Matiscik (46) and punter Logan Cooke (9) talk during pregame warm ups. The Jacksonville Jaguars hosted the Houston Texans at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida Sunday, December 19, 2021. [Bob Self/Florida Times-Union]
Jki 121921 Bsjagsvstexans 3")
The Jacksonville Jaguars suffered a Pro Bowl drought for several years, but things have changed the past two seasons. One year after Josh Hines-Allen and Ross Matiscik earned a First-Team nod, the Jags will once again have a pair of players get such an illustrious honor.
The NFL announced its roster for the 2025 Pro Bowl games. Long-snapper Ross Matiscik and punter Logan Cooke will represent the Jags. The former was selected for the second time in his career while the latter is getting his first-ever designation.
When Matiscik and Hines-Allen made the 2024 Pro Bowl games, they became the first Jaguars since 2019 to get the nod, ending a four-year skid. Granted, Trevor Lawrence and tight end Evan Engram made the cut as alternates, but it doesn't have the same weight as being a First Ballot.
Speaking of alternates, rookie Brian Thomas Jr. didn't earn a First-Team Pro Bowl selection, but he, along with Hines Allen and Travon Walker, will be alternates.
Our #ProBowlGames alternates 🫡 pic.twitter.com/CjBMUCoXGV
— Jacksonville Jaguars (@Jaguars) January 2, 2025
Matiscik, an undrafted free agent in 2020, has spent his whole career in Duval. Apart from getting a Pro Bowl selection in 2023, he also earned a First-Team All-Pro nod.
Cooke, on the other hand, was a seventh-round pick by the Jags in the 2018 draft. He's the only draftee from that class that remains with the Jags. Although this will be his first Pro Bowl selection, the veteran punter earned three Associated Press All-Pro votes in 2021. That year, he had a net average of 44.3 yards, good for second in the league at the position. His 28 punts inside the 20-yard line also ranked fourth.
Pro Bowl selections by Ross Matiscik and Logan Cooke show the Jaguars are (slowly) turning the corner
The Jacksonville Jaguars would've surely liked to see more of their players make the Pro Bowl. However, they must be pleased that Ross Matiscik and Logan Cooke made the cut. After all, it shows that special teams play does matter and that they're slowly getting widespread recognition across the
This is noteworthy when you consider that the Jags have routinely been snubbed, whether it's in the Pro Bowl or the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Some of it has to do with the fact that they've struggled to enjoy sustained success. Nevertheless, they've been getting the spotlight more often in recent years, and that's a reason for optimism. On the other hand, Jacksonville needs to start winning games and become a playoff contender if it wants to see more players earn more recognition from their peers.
Heck, there's a strong chance that Brian Thomas Jr. and Travon Walker would've been First-Team Pro Bowl selections if the Jags had won more games in 2024, but because they're one of the worst teams in the league, players with winning clubs probably got priority.
The bottom line is that the Jaguars should be encouraged by Ross Matiscik and Logan Cooke's selection to the Pro Bowls. It should incentivize them to steer the ship in the right direction.