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Voting for the 2017-’18 NFL Pro Bowl is now open. The game will be at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, FL on Sunday, January 28 at 3:00pm ET.
Current Bengals on this year’s ballot include:
- Quarterback Andy Dalton
- Running backs Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard
- Receivers A.J. Green and Brandon LaFell
- Tight end Tyler Kroft
- Fullback Ryan Hewitt
- Offensive tackles Cedric Ogbuehi and Andre Smith
- Guards Clint Boling and Trey Hopkins
- Center Russell Bodine
- Defensive ends Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson
- Defensive tackle Geno Atkins
- Inside linebackers Vontaze Burfict and Kevin Minter
- Outside linebacker Nick Vigil
- Corners Dre Kirkpatrick and Adam Jones
- Safeties Shawn Williams and George Iloka
- Kicker Randy Bullock
- Punter Kevin Huber
- Return Specialist Alex Erickson
- Special teamer Clayton Fejedelem
The Bengals in recent seasons have had quite a few Pro Bowlers. Despite this team’s 3-6 start they still have some very talented players who should end up at least in the running for spots at the Pro Bowl. Unfortunately, a few of the perennial Pro Bowlers are either injured or aren’t on the team anymore, but here are the players in the running this year.
A.J. Green remains to be one of the best receivers in the NFL. He is currently ranked sixth in the AFC in receiving yards and tied for fourth in touchdowns. By name alone he should finish near the top of the receivers in votes.
Dalton is currently seventh in the AFC in yards and tied for sixth in touchdowns. He may only reach the Pro Bowl if a few players drop out because of the Super Bowl or personal preference to not play. He isn’t too far from the top in the AFC, which really says a lot about the conference’s quarterbacks.
Atkins is tied for sixth in the AFC with six sacks, and he leads all defensive tackles in sacks. Atkins name also carries some weight with voters. Now that the Pro Bowl is back to the original AFC vs NFC format he won’t have to compete with Aaron Donald or Gerald McCoy for a spot either.
Carlos Dunlap has made the Pro Bowl the past two seasons, but this year he hasn’t put up his usual stats. He only has two sacks through nine games. He does have the game-winning interception for a touchdown, but that may not be enough to carry him to Orlando.
Burfict hasn’t made a Pro Bowl since 2013, and his reputation probably has a lot to do with that. Nothing has seemed to change on that front either.
Fejedelem should have a decent shot at making it based on his play alone. He is usually making an open field tackle on most special team plays, but will enough people recognize that? Probably not.
Erickson has the second most kick off return yards with 424, the most kickoff returns of over 20 yards (14) and the most punt return yards in the AFC this season, and people are talking about him more and more around the NFL. Not having a touchdown does hurt quite a bit though with the fan vote.
Current Bengals players who have appeared in a Pro Bowl
- Green (6): 2011-’16
- Atkins (5): 2011, 2012 and 2014-’16
- Jones (1): 2015
- Dalton (3): 2011, 2014 and 2016
- Dunlap (2): 2015-’16
- Tyler Eifert (1): 2015
- Vontaze Burfict (1): 2013
- Kevin Huber (1): 2014
- Cedric Peerman (1): 2015