If you’re reading this site, chances are you’ve called out of work to play golf.
Some of those stories might be worth telling — and some definitely aren’t — but Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s story this week probably takes the cake.
As one of the best players in the AFC, Allen was named to the Pro Bowl roster last month. The Pro Bowl is a lot different than it used to be, having been diminished due to injury risk and lack of player interest. This year, there will be a skills competition instead of a game and the AFC’s best quarterback (Patrick Mahomes) won’t be there at all due to Super Bowl obligations.
ESPN reported Tuesday morning Allen would not be participating in Pro Bowl festivities and would replaced by Tyler Huntley due to an “elbow injury.” And while this Steelers fan is more concerned about how a Ravens backup quarterback got an alternate invite before Kenny Pickett did, NFL fans might be skeptical of Allen’s opt-out reasoning.
Allen has dealt with an elbow injury for the better part of the last three months, but it’s fair to question of that’s really the reason he’s pulling out of the showcase. That’s because on Saturday, he was announced as one of the celebrity competitors for this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
The first set of events for the new weeklong Pro Bowl format starts Thursday in Las Vegas while the Pro-Am gets underway the same day on the Monterey Peninsula.
Which would you choose?
Allen has been no stranger to golf in recent years. He played at Pebble Beach in last year’s Pro-Am and took part in this past summer’s edition of Capitol One’s The Match with fellow QBs Mahomes, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers. The 6-foot-5 Wyoming product also dressed up as Phil Mickelson for Halloween 2021.
He also hasn’t shown much interest in playing in the Pro Bowl, having declined an invitation last year.
The next time you call in sick for work, will you have as good of a story as playing Pebble Beach on national TV? We doubt it.
