Bears’ Patterson, Mack, Smith Receive AP All-Pro Honors

With the NFL Playoffs opening this weekend, the Associated Press released their first- and second-team All-Pro teams.

The Chicago Bears’ lone representative on the first team is kick returner Cordarrelle Patterson. Patterson single-handedly improved Chicago’s kick return game, taking the Bears from the bottom of the league rankings to the very top. Patterson was undoubtedly deserving of a place on the team. This marks his fourth appearance on the AP All-Pro First Team.

As for the second-team All-Pro team:

Two Bears were named to the second team. Roquan Smith and Khalil Mack are also All-Pro’s.

Mack was a dominant force this season despite the lack of sack numbers, but the fact that Roquan Smith is not a first-team All-Pro is… lunacy. Here’s why:

Smith posted better numbers than every single one of the three first-team All-Pro’s. The fact that he was a tie for the final second-team spot is insane and leaves many wondering what the Associated Press was thinking.

In the same breath, Allen Robinson put together a sensational season and yet Cole Beasley was named an All-Pro over him.

Robinson had his best season since 2015 when he recorded 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns as a Jaguar. However, his 102 catches in 2020 is a career-high for the seventh-year pro.

It’s a huge honor to be named to the All-Pro team, whether it’s the first or second grouping. That said, the fact that Roquan Smith and Allen Robinson were snubbed in such a manner is absurd. The AP writers that vote on these teams better double-check themselves, as football fans have a lot of questions, especially in Chicago.