“The brotherhood — the NFL is built off of that, I feel like,” Surtain said. “And just to make it with a bunch of elite, great guys, it means a lot to be in that same category. It’s an honor and it’s a blessing to be here. This is something I’ve worked toward as well, individually. I’m just honored. …

“I talked to Peyton on multiple occasions so far,” Surtain said. “He’s very excited. Obviously he’s very competitive, so he wants the AFC to win as bad as we want to win. It should be fun going out there, having him as a coach and Ray [Lewis] and those guys. It should be awesome, an awesome opportunity.”

Even though he had just two interceptions — including an amazing diving pick of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes that Surtain called his favorite play of the season — his NFL colleagues and media members alike recognized his high level of play. In addition to the Pro Bowl honors, Surtain was named a first-team All-Pro by both the NFLPA and Associated Press, and the Pro Football Writers of America selected him to the 2022 All-NFL Team.

“I’m looking forward to building on obviously my on-field play, but also building my leadership as well,” Surtain said. “… I know I’m a third-year guy, I’m starting to get a little bit more savvy, starting to know the ins and outs of the game. So it’ll be a great opportunity for me to just provide that leadership quality for the DBs, along with [safety] Justin [Simmons], ‘KJack’ [Kareem Jackson] and them guys. I’m just looking forward to build on that and just improve my play.”