CINCINNATI — Five Cincinnati Bengals were voted to the 2016 Pro Bowl, the most the team has seen in more than a decade.
Breaking the 10-year record adds to the string of milestones reached by this roster, including a franchise-record 8-0 season start and clinching a playoff berth going 11-3 Sunday over San Francisco.
Here are the Bengals’ five Pro Bowlers of 2016:
A.J. Green - Wide Receiver
Green has never been a Bengal and not gone to the Pro Bowl, this being his fifth consecutive year for each. He’s also the only Bengal to ever do so, according to Bengals spokesman Inky Moore.
The only Bengal to go to Hawaii six times was Chad Johnson.
Reggie Nelson - Safety
After nine years in the NFL, 2016 will bring Nelson his first Pro Bowl appearance. So far this season, he’s proven to be nothing if not an interception machine: He leads the NFL in total picks, with 8, and is on track to be the first Bengal to have sole claim to league-most interceptions in a single season.
AND, he set a new team record this season by claiming an interception in five consecutive games.
Geno Atkins - Defensive tackle
This will be Atkins’ fourth appearance in six seasons with the Bengals, ranking second in the NFL for sacks (he has 10 so far). He also leads the team in total tackles-for-loss and has the second-most hits on quarterback.
The only Bengals defensive player to get more Pro Bowl nods was cornerback Lemar Parrish.
Andrew Whitworth - Offensive tackle
In 10 years as a Bengal, this will be Whitworth’s second Pro Bowl appearance. The veteran tackle is credited for leading his team to a fourth-place ranking in points scored per game.
He leads the current roster in games played and games started, including starting each of the 14 games so far this season.
Tyler Eifert - Tight end
This will be Eifert’s first Pro Bowl appearance, after breaking the franchise record for touchdowns by a tight end in a seasons, with 12 (previously nine) already in 2015.
Despite relatively inactive over the last four weeks due to injuries, Eifert’s 12 TDs this season put him just one shy of leading the league.
Quarterback Andy Dalton, defensive end Carlos Dunlap and special teamer Cedric Peerman were voted as first alternates. Cornerback Adam Jones was voted a seventh alternate.
The Pro Bowl will be played Sunday Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. eastern time at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. It will air on ESPN.