Pair of Bears players lead in Pro Bowl voting, but it’s not who you’d think

The first batch of NFL Pro Bowl voting results are in, and a pair of Chicago Bears are leading at their respective positions.

Those players may not be who you’d expect.

The voting is underway for the Pro Bowl Games, which will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 3 in San Francisco as part of the leadup to Super Bowl LX, which will be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

As part of the festivities, players will battle it out in a series of games and competitions, with the featured event a 7-on-7 flag football game.

Fan voting for the Pro Bowl will remain open through mid-December, and two Bears players currently lead at their respective positions.

Free safety Kevin Byard III is tops at his spot in league voting, as is left guard Joe Thuney, according to results released by the NFL on Monday.

Byard is having one of the best seasons of his career, racking up an NFL-high six interceptions and seven passes defended so far on the season. He also has 46 combined tackles, serving as one of the team’s captains.

The Bears acquired Thuney in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs during the offseason, and has not yet allowed a sack this season, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Bears have several other players who are in the running for Pro Bowl spots. Drew Dalman currently ranks second among centers in the league, behind only Kansas City’s Creed Humphrey. Cornerback Nahshon Wright is also second in the league in the cornerback vote, trailing Carolina’s Jaycee Horn.

Scott Daly is third in the voting for long snappers, and Josh Blackwell is third among special teamers. Quarterback Caleb Williams is currently seventh at that position.

Fan votes for the Pro Bowl Games count for one-third of the overall votes. Players and coaches each count for one-third of the ballots, according to the league.

Fans can vote on X by posting the first and last name of a player, tagging the player’s X handle, or creating a hashtag that includes the player’s first and last name. The posts must also include the hashtag #ProBowlVote. Voting is open through December 15, and the final two days of balloting, social posts count double.

Fans can also vote via Madden NFL 26 Mobile or on the NFL’s website.