Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has been named to the Associated Press 2011 NFL All-Pro Team after receiving 47.5 of the 50 total votes, the AP announced Friday. Rodgers was joined on the team by Packers cornerback Charles Woodson.
Rodgers threw for a franchise-record 4,643 yards and 45 touchdowns in leading the Packers to a 15-1 regular season record and the NFC’s No.1 seed. He also set the NFL record for passer rating in a season with a 122.5 mark, eclipsing Peyton Manning’s mark of 121.1 set in 2004.
2011 will be the first season in which Rodgers has earned All-Pro honors.
Drew Brees, the New Orleans Saints record-breaking quarterback, received the other 2.5 votes. The wide discrepancy in votes almost ensures that Rodgers will also be the NFL’s MVP, which is scheduled to be announced in February on the night before the Super Bowl.
Woodson earned his sixth AP All-Pro selection of his career (1999, 2000, ’08, ’09, ’10, ’11) despite the Packers allowing the most passing yards in NFL history this season. The 35-year-old Woodson was tied for the NFL lead in interception in 2011 with seven, marking the second time in his career that he’s either led or tied in interceptions for a season. He also had two sacks and forced and recovered a fumble.
Fullback John Kuhn, receiver Jordy Nelson, right tackle Bryan Bulaga, center Scott Wells, defensive tackle B.J. Raji, and outside linebacker Clay Matthews also received votes at their respective positions.
AP 2011 NFL ALL-PROS
QB AARON RODGERS, PACKERS
RB MAURICE JONES-DREW, JAGUARS
RB LESEAN MCCOY, EAGLES
FB VONTA LEACH, RAVENS
WR CALVIN JOHNSON, LIONS
WR WES WELKER, PATRIOTS
TE ROB GRONKOWSKI, PATRIOTS
T JASON PETERS, EAGLES
T JOE THOMAS, BROWNS
G CARL NICKS, SAINTS
G JAHRI EVANS, SAINTS
C MAURKICE POUNCEY, STEELERS
DE JARED ALLEN, VIKINGS
DE JASON PIERRE-PAUL, GIANTS
DT HALOTI NGATA, RAVENS
DT JUSTIN SMITH, 49ERS
LB TERRELL SUGGS, RAVENS
LB DEMARCUS WARE, COWBOYS
LB PATRICK WILLIS, 49ERS
LB NAVARRO BOWMAN, 49ERS
LB DERRICK JOHNSON, CHIEFS
CB DARRELLE REVIS, JETS
CB CHARLES WOODSON, PACKERS
S TROY POLAMALU, STEELERS
S ERIC WEDDLE, CHARGERS
K DAVID AKERS, 49ERS
P ANDY LEE, 49ERS
KR PATRICK PETERSON, CARDINALS
Zach Kruse is a 23-year-old sports journalist with a passion for the Green Bay Packers. He currently lives in Wisconsin and is working on his journalism degree, while also covering prep sports for The Dunn Co. News.
You can read more of Zach's Packers articles on AllGreenBayPackers.com.
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Ladies and gentlemen, your 2011-2012 NFL MVP, Aaron Rodgers.
I could live with that team as mine.
Another former Packer on the list, and one who fans often said was garbage- FB Vonta Leach.
Just another reminder to all of us that sometimes talent takes time to develop.
I have problems with Woodson taking an all-pro selection away from so many other deserving CBs.
Woodson is a defensive playmaker, but he’s not exactly playing the CB position..He plays more of a in-the-box roving safety or LB role at this point in his career.
It’s difficult for me, and I know it’s not a popular sentiment, but I just think there are so many other CB’s who play the traditional position with much better coverage skills that it’s not right to put Wood in there. He deserves to be mentioned as a highly versatile, intelligent and aggressive play maker, but calling him a CB is like calling Tebow a QB. Yeah, that’s his job title, but he’s really a Running back.
I said on CHTV that I also thought Woodson wasn’t deserving, but there’s much more to the CB position than covering a receiver.
And when I looked at it, at whole package, I couldn’t honestly find another deserving corner to put in there. Who would you put?
Browner
Who? That Seattle guy that a lot of advanced stats sites say he played really well, but nobody actually saw any of his game so nobody can say for certain what are his positives and negatives?
If you can actually say what kind of defense Seattle plays, then I’ll agree with you.
Or an even better proposition:
Would you trade Woodson for him, right now?
I wonder if any of this bothers Suh (not making the Pro Bowl ,AP All Pro, ect) I’m glad people recognize his poor sport attitude. Grow up buddy.
It’s somewhat of a bummer CM3 didn’t make it, he’s such great football player, but he didn’t have a pass rushing compliment to help take pressure off him. He still was a force but unfortunately, voters get lost in sack totals. I hope Clay makes the AP voters re-think thier pick after he opens up a can of whip-a$$ in the playoffs.
More to it than just attitude, Suh simply did not have a Pro Bowl, let alone an All-Pro year. He played too agressive, being a liability against trap runs, he played too tall, losing leverage, he lost games with the suspension…
For all the crap (deserved) Raji is taking, Suh had only 1 more sack than him, despite playing in a system that asks him to rush the passer much more often than Raji.
I foresee CM3 using this as “tacklin’ fuel” for the playoffs.