TEMPE, Ariz. -- What was Tyrann Mathieu's reward for being named Arizona’s starting free safety on Tuesday when the Cardinals released their latest depth chart?

Mathieu A spot on the NFL’s Pro Bowl Ballot.

Over the past few weeks, a good number of Mathieu’s fans took to Twitter to question why the Cardinals’ rookie wasn’t on the ballot while he’s putting together a rookie-of-the-year-caliber season. The answer was simple: He wasn’t a starter.

According to an NFL spokesman, it is the team’s decision who to submit for the Pro Bowl ballot within certain parameters, such as one free safety, one strong safety, two cornerbacks and so-on. A Cardinals’ spokesman said the team nominates its starters for the Pro Bowl, and when Mathieu was named the starting free safety Tuesday, he was added to the ballot.

https://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/99054/tyrann-mathieu-added-to-pro-bowl-ballot