3 Bengals players most deserving of making the Pro Bowl

news now: Three Bengals players that should be in the Pro Bowl are….

Many people believe that being selected for the Pro Bowl is more of a popularity contest than anything else, and it is by no means the most prestigious award that can be given to an NFL player. becoming chosen for an All-Pro team is a considerably better measure of a player’s skill level than becoming a Pro Bowler. Even so, it’s always encouraging to see a Bengal get league-wide recognition for their efforts.

I could probably think of at least six Bengals that should be selected for the Pro Bowl, but 1. it would be a little biased on my part, and 2. I wanted to focus on the three names that are the most deserved and have the best chance of getting selected. Thus, Germaine Pratt, Logan Wilson—both quarterbacks with the initials JB—D.J. Reader, Mike Hilton, and B.J. Hill receive a brief honorable mention.

Now that we’ve cleared everything up, these are the three Bengals that deserve it the most to play in the Pro Bowl.

Pro Football Reference provided all of the statistics.

 

Hendrickson, Trey

Not only is Trey Hendrickson almost a lock to start in the Pro Bowl, but he should be named an All-Pro for the first time in his seven-year career. He’s already surpassed his 2021 season-high for sacks through 15 weeks, and as of this writing, he’s having the best season of his career. He’s now tied for third in sacks. The former Saint is also enjoying a six-game run with at least half a sack, demonstrating his increasing dominance as the games get closer.

But more significantly, Hendrickson has been the engine of Cincinnati’s pass rush team. Though B.J. Hill and Sam Hubbard have made significant contributions as well, it seems like no one can get to QB Chandler when he’s not playing, which hasn’t happened often this season. The seasoned edge rusher has been this defense’s most vital and influential player time and time again. He never fails to come up with the big play when the Bengals need it to win a game.

Given his current season, Hendrickson is without a doubt one of the Bengals, if not the most, deserving player to be selected for the Pro Bowl.

Ja’Marr Chase
In light of what I’ve previously mentioned about the Pro Bowl, which many view as a “popularity contest,” Chase is the Bengals’ best chance to win the starting job. He and Burrow are arguably the most well-liked Bengals players in the league, so I have no doubts about him making it to his third straight Pro Bowl. It won’t be unjustified because he had several huge games and again broke 1,000 receiving yards (mostly against the NFC West and Jacksonville).

Even if he hasn’t yet surpassed his rookie season total in yards or touchdowns, Chase did establish a career high with 93 receptions in 2023. For the first time in his career, he may have a triple-digit reception year, depending on how long this shoulder issue keeps him out. In connection with this receptions statistic, he has also had four games with 10 or more receptions this season (Arizona, San Francisco, LAR, and Jacksonville) compared to one in 2021 (Kansas City) and two in 2022 (Pittsburgh, Cleveland). This surpasses both his rookie and sophomore seasons.

Chase is probably more likely to make the Pro Bowl, even if Trey Hendrickson is the most deserving. Along with fellow elite receivers like Cooper Kupp, Tyreek Hill, Justin Jefferson, and others, he is a household name and is adored by fans and the media alike.

Cam Taylor-Britt
Many anticipated Cam Taylor-Britt to develop significantly in his second season after witnessing his play in the latter stages of 2022, particularly in the home game against the Browns and in the divisional round versus the Bills. He was expected to progress from his first season, but I didn’t anticipate it would be this much. He has rapidly shown that he is CB1 material, even though I didn’t think that at first.

Given that Chidobe Awuzie was projected to enter the season sluggish and was still working to recover from an ACL tear sustained halfway through the 2022 campaign, the Bengals truly needed him to be. The Nebraska product has responded to that call, showing up for the Bengals when they needed it most in the season and shutting down opponents on several occasions.

All things considered, this has been a fantastic season for second-year cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt, even though we haven’t gotten to see a complete season of him yet (though he may make a comeback as early as Week 17 against the Chiefs). He made a significant improvement over his rookie season, stepped up as CB1 when Cincy needed him to, and had a few standout plays in 2023, like his pick-six against Arizona and his leaping interception against the Seahawks on his birthday.

I also want to talk about the excitement he brings to the squad, even though this won’t affect if he actually makes the Pro Bowl. CTB is entertaining to watch not just during the game but also in the post-game or even when he is injured because of his ferocious passion for the Bengals.

The Bengals may unexpectedly re-sign two of their pending free agents in 2024. Three pending free agents