Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor is heading to the Pro Bowl, where he will replace Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who is heading to the Super Bowl.
Taylor joins his Bills teammate, center Eric Wood, on his trip to Hawaii; Wood will be replacing Panthers center Ryan Kalil in the league's all-star game.
The Bills have not had a quarterback play in the Pro Bowl since the 2002 season, when Drew Bledsoe made it into the game.
In his first season as a NFL starting quarterback in 2015, Taylor was a breath of fresh air for a Bills offense that needed some life at that position. While he still has room to improve, Taylor's 3,035 passing yards, 568 rushing yards (the second-most among quarterbacks in the league, trailing only Newton), and 24 combined touchdowns (juxtaposed to seven turnovers) speak to his upside as he enters the offseason knowing he'll keep that starting gig.
Now, he'll have a Pro Bowl on his CV as he looks to play his way into a long-term contract extension in Buffalo (the 2016 season is the last on his free agent deal signed last March). That's not a bad way to cap off a year that he started in a three-way starting competition with Matt Cassel and EJ Manuel.