The NFL announced that WR Ja'Marr Chase, DE Trey Hendrickson and HB Joe Mixon have been voted to the AFC team for this season's Pro Bowl game. Chase was voted as a starter.
"It's a tremendous honor for our players to be recognized among the league's best by their peers, coaches and fans," said Bengals head coach Zac Taylor. "Ja'Marr, Trey and Joe have had terrific seasons, and their contributions both on and off the field have been critical for us all year long. Those three, as well as our players who were voted as alternates, are major reasons we are in position to achieve our goals this season."
Chase, a rookie out of Louisiana State University, was Cincinnati's first-round pick (fifth overall) in April's draft, and he currently leads the team in receptions (61), receiving yards (1038) and receiving TDs (10). His receiving TD total already is a Bengals rookie record, and his receptions and receiving yardage totals are both approaching team rookie records (67 receptions, 1057 yards). Chase also leads all NFL rookies in both receiving yards and receiving TDs.
Chase is the sixth Bengals rookie ever to be voted to the Pro Bowl at any position. The others were QB Andy Dalton and WR A.J. Green (2011), WR Cris Collinsworth (1981), WR Isaac Curtis ('73) and CB Lemar Parrish ('70). Additionally, four Bengals rookies were in the American Football League All-Star Game — LB Bill Bergey in 1969, and C Bob Johnson, RB Paul Robinson and TE Bob Trumpy in '68.
Hendrickson, a fifth-year pro out of Florida Atlantic University, is in his first Bengals season after joining the team in March as an unrestricted free agent. He leads the team and ranks fifth leaguewide with 13 sacks, which already are the third-most in team history. Hendrickson has recorded at least a half-sack in each of Cincinnati's last 10 games — the longest active streak in the NFL, the longest streak in team history, and tied for the fifth-longest streak in NFL history.
Mixon, a fifth-year player out of the University of Oklahoma, originally was a second-round pick of the Bengals in 2017. He currently ranks second in the NFL in rushing yards (1094), second in rushing attempts (262) and third in rushing TDs (12). Mixon stands just three rushing TDs shy of tying RB Ickey Woods' single-season team record of 15, set in 1988. He also has two receiving TDs this year, which gives him 14 total, just three shy of WR Carl Pickens' team record of 17, set in 1995.
Additionally, five Bengals have been voted as alternates for the AFC squad. QB Joe Burrow and LS Clark Harris are both second alternates, DE Sam Hubbard and DT Larry Ogunjobi are fourth alternates, and CB Mike Hilton is a fifth alternate. Alternates are added to the game if voted player(s) in their position group are unable to participate. Selections from the two teams reaching the Super Bowl will be among those unable to play, as will players who are not cleared due to injury.
The 2022 Pro Bowl, which kicks off at 3 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, Feb. 6, will be televised live from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev. on ABC, ESPN and ESPN Deportes.
