The 49ers are expected to have more than one representative at the Pro Bowl after all.
Left tackle Joe Staley is expected to take the place of Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson, according to multiple reports, after Philadelphia advanced to the Super Bowl with a blowout win Sunday over the Vikings in the NFC title game.
The Pro Bowl will be played Sunday in Orlando a week before the Super Bowl.
Staley, running back Carlos Hyde and kicker Robbie Gould were chosen as alternates while fullback Kyle Juszczyk was the only 49er to get named a Pro Bowl when the teams were announced last month.
Staley is the 49ers’ longest tenured player and felt invigorated by the addition of Kyle Shanahan and Jimmy Garoppolo during the 2017 season. The 34-year-old previously had questions about how long his career would last, but expects to play multiple seasons with the promising coach and quarterback combination in place.
The 49ers won five straight games to finish the season with Garoppolo starting under center. They began the season 0-9 and appeared to have a long road of rebuilding ahead. But with Garoppolo, the 49ers will be a trendy playoff pick for 2018 after beating two playoffs teams (and the Rams, who rested their starters) to finish the campaign.
“I feel really good, really excited,” Staley said Jan. 1. “(If) you were asking me that question Week 6, it’d be hard for me to answer that. I was feeling the vibes of the locker room, but at the end of the day it’s a results business. Definitely want to have those wins in the win column. Just what we were able to do in the second half of the year is so special. It really is a shame that the season’s ending.”
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