A.J. Green won’t play in 2017 NFL Pro Bowl

Bengals fans are breathing a sigh of relief after hearing one of the team’s star players won’t play in the Pro Bowl.

A.J. Green revealed Monday that he will not be taking part in the 2017 NFL Pro Bowl, which he was voted into in December, despite missing time this season due to hamstring injury. Green has played in the Pro Bowl in all five of his NFL seasons proceeding this year.

After last year’s debacle with Tyler Eifert injuring his ankle in the Pro Bowl, Bengals fans would rather see none of their stars take part in the glorified game of flag football. That led to an offseason of Eifert injury watch before he missed the first six games of the 2016 season (Cincinnati went 2-4 in those games).

The Bengals can’t afford another setback like that if they’re going to rebound in 2017, so seeing Green bow out of the Pro Bowl is good to see. There’s also the fact he’s still recovering from a hamstring injury that cost him the final six games and all but two snaps of a seventh game of the 2016 season.

Green, who just finished his sixth NFL season, racked up 66 receptions for 964 yards and four touchdowns in essentially nine games this season. He suffered a hamstring strain in game No. 10 (Week 11) that led to him missing the final six games this season. That injury may have included a torn hamstring tendon, and it’s unclear if he will have any surgery this offseason.

This season will mark the first time Green has failed to record 1,000 yards receiving in a season. Had he hit that mark this year, Green would have joined Randy Moss as the only players in NFL history to have six-straight 1,000-yard seasons to begin their career.

It’s unclear if any other Bengals will skip the Pro Bowl. Defensive tackle Geno Atkins also made it, while offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth was named a first alternate, defensive end Carlos Dunlap is a second alternate and right guard Kevin Zeitler a third alternate.