Pro Bowl 2012: 3 Players Who Should Actually Play Hard

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

The 2012 Pro Bowl is here. Does anyone care? There are at least three players in it who should.

The Pro Bowl is probably the least popular of all the professional All-Star games. The reason is because it is at the end of the year around the Super Bowl, which overshadows it greatly.

As a result, the games are often jokes, which is alright.

However, here are three guys who should not take it lightly.

Matt Forte

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

After being out for the last half of the season or so due to injury, Matt Forte has some work to do in this game.

He needs a solid showing to prove that he's back to 100 percent, or at least that he will be by August.

He has a potential contract extension coming up, which adds even more importance.

Von Miller

Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Von Miller showed a tendency to disappear as the season wore on this past year.

He needs to show up in this game and be visible and creating pressure.

He needs a sack or two in this game to show that he is a dominant pass-rusher of the future.

Ben Roethlisberger

Jeff Gross/Getty Images

The Pittsburgh Steelers are changing their offensive strategy, much to the dismay of their quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Normally, the franchise quarterback would have a bigger say, but the Rooney family is legendary. They know what they are doing.

Big Ben has been beaten up a lot this season, but he still wants to keep stepping back and chucking the ball down the field.

If he has any hope of getting his way, he needs to show that he's good to go in this game. As the starter, he'll get that chance.