Bengals QB Andy Dalton has been named to the AFC team for the Pro Bowl, the NFL announced today. It's the third Pro Bowl selection for Dalton, who replaces Tom Brady of New England. Brady will not play due to the Patriots advancing yesterday to Super Bowl LI.
Dalton's addition gives the Bengals five Pro Bowl selections for the 2016 season. DT Geno Atkins and WR A.J. Green were selected in the initial voting, while DE Carlos Dunlap, OT Andrew Whitworth and Dalton have been added as replacements. Green, however, will not play, due to rehab from the hamstring injury that kept him out of the last six regular-season games.
The Pro Bowl will be played this Sunday, Jan. 29, televised on ESPN at 8 p.m. from Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Fla. The game returns this year to the traditional AFC vs. NFC format, after three seasons of two "unconferenced" teams being formed though a draft.
Dalton also played in the Pro Bowl following the 2011 and 2014 seasons.
Dalton's 4206 passing yards in 2016 were second-most in Bengals history, behind only his own 4293 from 2013. He threw all 563 Bengals passes in '16, and his interception total constituted a team record for fewest INTs in a season. He threw for 18 touchdowns, and his interception percentage of 1.4 was the best of his six-year career.
Dalton's passer rating was 91.8, below the Bengals-record of 106.3 he posted in 2015, but head coach Marvin Lewis praised Dalton as the season concluded for the best overall campaign of his career.
