"I'm mad," Arik Armstead told reporters on Wednesday.
The San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman believes he should have been selected to the Pro Bowl. He leads one of the best defenses in the NFL in sacks with 10. It's a team that owns one of the league's best records but is currently sending just four representatives to the annual all-star game.
Of those four, only two are from the No. 2 ranked defense — rookie defensive end Nick Bosa and veteran cornerback Richard Sherman. The offensive representatives will be tight end George Kittle and fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
"I'm mad, definitely," Armstead continued. "It's something you dream about getting. You work hard for it, and you feel like you deserve it, and you don't get it. It's beyond my understanding."
Armstead is among several alternates from the 49ers to be named, which means others will have to decline from playing or be unable to play before he gets a chance for the trip to Orlando, Florida. Should that happen, it would be his first Pro Bowl.
Sherman and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh believe there were several 49ers snubs. For much of the season, the cornerback lobbied for decision-makers to include several of his deserving teammates, like Armstead. The lobbying didn't work.
"It's unfortunate," Sherman told reporters on Wednesday. "I think the guys deserved to go. They deserved the recognition. I think, at the end of the day, we're searching for something bigger, but it's just unfortunate. Those guys worked hard, they played well, and they deserved the recognition."
Saleh was asked if he was upset or disappointed that more of his players didn't get that recognition. The coach knows how the system works.
"Sometimes that Pro Bowl thing can be a popularity vote," Saleh explained. "I think Coach (Shanahan) had a really good message that the players' names are put to a higher standard with what you do in December and January.
"We're a young team that hasn't done a lot over the last few years, and we've got an opportunity in front of us to do something about it, and really cement our names in the history of the league, if you want to say it that way.
"There's a lot more guys deserving of (selections) than just two Pro Bowlers, in my opinion."
