EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Cordarrelle Patterson is leading the NFC in fan voting for special teams players, the NFL announced Monday.
Patterson has received 102,116 votes for the special teams position that is designated in the Pro Bowl. That position is separate from return specialist. Seattle's Tyler Lockett leads the NFC at that position with 83,720 votes.
Patterson is leading the NFL with a kickoff return average of 30.5 yards (580 on 19 returns). He notched a 104-yard touchdown to start the second half of the game against Arizona.
The fourth-year pro has also made a mark as a gunner this season, and people have noticed. Patterson has recorded four tackles (three solo) on special teams.
Cowboys rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott is leading all players with 681,361 fan votes. His fellow classmate and teammate, Dak Prescott, ranks second with 607,621.
Patriots QB Tom Brady (519,210), Steelers WR Antonio Brown (508,913) and Raiders QB Derek Carr (500,770) round out the top five.
Fan voting for the 2017 Pro Bowl will continue online and on web-enabled mobile phones at vikings.com/probowl until Tuesday, Dec. 13. See official rules on how to vote at NFL.com/probowlvoterules.com. Fans may also vote for who they want to see on the 2017 Pro Bowl roster via social media by using #ProBowlVote and the player's first and last name on Twitter and Instagram. On Facebook, fans may comment on any official Pro Bowl Vote post by the NFL or a club.
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 selected to the Pro Bowl. NFL players and coaches will cast their votes on Friday, Dec. 16. 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.
The Pro Bowl players will be announced on Tuesday, Dec. 20 in a live prime-time special on NFL Network.
The game will be played on Sunday, Jan. 29, 2017 and simulcast live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes from Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. Fans may visit NFL.com/ProBowlOnSale to purchase game tickets.
