Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Eagles' Jordan Mailata suffers another Pro Bowl snub

By Bruce Ewing | Last updated Jan 3, 2025 3:34 PM ET

Philadelphia’s Jordan Mailata could be the most underappreciated player in football. Now seven years into an unexpected NFL career, the talented left tackle has yet to receive a Pro Bowl nomination.

Mailata grew up in Australia and played rugby for teams like the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the South Sydney Rabbitohs, but once video clips of the 6-foot-8, 346-pound phenom hit the internet, Mailata was invited to try out for the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program before joining the Eagles as a seventh-round pick in 2018.

Now playing at 365 pounds, Mailata is among the NFL’s biggest players and has been one of the league’s best offensive linemen since taking over for All-Pro Jason Peters as the team’s starting left tackle in 2020. He’s appeared in 74 games with 60 starts over the past five years and is rated as the league’s best offensive tackle by Pro Football Focus.

So why no Pro Bowls? Maybe it had something to do with this play from Week 15:

Watch @JaredVerse1 (No. 8) on this play... sheeeesh

: #PHIvsLAR on NBC/Peacock
: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/cxdMlrHaGX
— NFL (@NFL) November 25, 2024

One bad play aside, the giant Aussie has allowed one sack with no hits and five penalties this season, all career-marks. By comparison, Pro Bowl left tackle Tristan Wirfs allowed one hit with eight penalties for Tampa Bay.

To be fair, the Pro Bowl does not distinguish between left and right tackle. Philadelphia’s Lane Johnson and Detroit's Penei Sewell (both right tackles) were both named starters for the NFC, with Wirfs listed as a backup. Mailata was named as an alternate but remained diplomatic about his Pro Bowl snub.

"That's out of my control," Mailata said via Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94 WIP Sports Radio. "Can't control that. But I will say this: It's not something that I prioritize or look forward to. And another thing is, when I look back from where I was last year to where I am this year, I know I'm on the right path."

Johnson went a step further, calling his teammate the "best left tackle in football," and citing 2024 as the best season he's had. Of course, both Johnson and Mailata would rather miss this year’s Pro Bowl altogether and represent the NFC in Super Bowl LIX instead.

Philadelphia is locked in as the No. 2 seed for the NFC playoffs and currently owns the fourth-best odds to win this year’s Super Bowl, per ESPN.

Bruce Ewing

Bruce Ewing is 183 pounds of twisted steel and Happy Meals. His work has appeared on Yardbarker, 5th Down Fantasy, Inside the Iggles and MSN. Give a Philly fan a break and follow him on Twitter/X at @fantasybruce.

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