METAIRIE -- The New Orleans Saints tied a team record when the Philadelphia Eagles reached Super Bowl LII on Sunday night.
Philadelphia's Super Bowl berth meant that guard Brandon Brooks will not be available to play in next week's Pro Bowl in Orlando, Fla.
And that cleared a path for New Orleans right guard Larry Warford to become the seventh Saint chosen for this Pro Bowl, allowing the 2017 team to tie the 2009 team for the most Pro Bowlers in franchise history. Warford's agency, Schwartz & Feinsod, announced the news.
For Warford, who signed a four-year, $34 million deal with the Saints on the first day of free agency, the Pro Bowl berth is the first of his career and a sign of the return New Orleans has already gotten on its investment.
Warford was handed a tough task last offseason, asked to take over for Jahri Evans, one of the best offensive lineman in Saints history.
Brought in after four seasons in Detroit, Warford proved to be one of the missing pieces for a Saints offensive line that paved the way for a rushing offense that finished second in the NFL in yards per carry at 4.66 and gave up just 20 sacks, second-fewest in the league.
Warford's inclusion also rectifies the biggest Pro Bowl beef that came out of a locker room that saw quarterback Drew Brees, running backs Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara, wide receiver Michael Thomas, defensive end Cameron Jordan and cornerback Marshon Lattimore selected to the initial rosters.
Brees, Ingram and other Saints openly lobbied for one of the offensive linemen to join the Pro Bowl roster, and now that Warford has been added, New Orleans has seven Saints headed to Orlando to play for an NFC team that will be coached by Sean Payton and the rest of the Saints assistants.