New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees and TE Jimmy Graham rank in the top 10 of NFL All-Stars in balloting for the 2014 Pro Bowl, the NFL announced Wednesday.
Brees ranks second overall (540,036 votes) and Graham ranks seventh (376,637 votes).
Fan voting for the 2014 Pro Bowl, presented by McDonald's, will continue online and on web-enabled mobile phones by going here until 5 pm CT on Thursday, December 26.
Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning, with 654, 309 votes, currently leads Pro Bowl voting. Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles (453,761 votes), Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson (449,346 votes) and Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch (443,533 votes) round out the top five in fan votes.
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In 2013, Brees is once again enjoying a standout season, as he's completed 277-of-406 passes (68.2%) for 3,369 yards, 26 touchdown passes, eight interceptions, one rushing touchdown and a 106.7 passer rating. He's currently ranked second in the NFL in passing yardage and touchdown passes, third in completion percentage, fourth in passer rating and first in third down passer rating (107.0).
Graham has enjoyed one of the most prolific campaigns for a tight end in 2013, leading the team in receiving with 60 receptions for 846 yards (14.1 avg.) with ten touchdowns. Leading tight ends in virtually every receiving category, tied for seventh in the NFL in receptions, nine in receiving yardage, tied for 11th in third down receptions (17), tied for second in touchdown receptions, and tied for 15th in first downs (43).
Pro Bowl balloting will conclude on Thursday, December 26, just three days prior to an exciting slate of Week 17 NFL games. The Pro Bowl players will be announced on Friday, December 27.
Players will later be assigned to teams through the first-ever Pro Bowl Draft, which will air on NFL Network during the week leading up to the game.
The 2014 Pro Bowl will be played on Sunday, January 26, 2014 and televised live on NBC at 7:00 PM ET from Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii.
For the first time ever, the Pro Bowl will be "unconferenced."
Gone is the familiar AFC vs. NFC match-up that has existed since 1971. Instead, players will be selected without regard to conference in voting by fans, coaches and players. For example, the top six quarterbacks following voting will earn distinction as All-Stars, regardless of how many are from AFC or NFC teams.
The Pro Bowl players are determined by the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches. Each group's vote counts one-third toward determining the 88 All-Star players who will be eligible for the Pro Bowl Draft.
NFL players and coaches will cast their votes on December 23-26. The NFL is the only sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches and players to determine its all-star teams. It was the first professional sports league to offer online all-star voting in 1995.
Continue voting for your favorite Saints here!
