3 Bengals players most deserving of making the Pro Bowl

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.

Trey Hendrickson should not only pretty much be a shoo-in for the Pro Bowl, but he also should be an All-Pro for the first time in his seven-year career. He is having the best season of his career this year, already besting his previous season-high for sacks set in 2021 through 15 weeks, and is currently tied for third in sacks as I write this. The former Saint is also currently on a six-game streak of having at least half a sack so he’s becoming more dominant down the stretch as the games matter more.

I could definitely think of at least six Bengals that should be selected for the Pro Bowl, but 1. that would be a little biassed 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 honourable mention.

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.

While he still hasn’t matched his yards or touchdown total from his rookie season, Chase did set a career-high in receptions in 2023, with 93 this year. Depending on how long this shoulder injury keeps him out, he could end up having a triple-digit reception year for the first time in his career. Related to this receptions stat, he has also had more 10+ reception games this year than his rookie or sophomore season, with 4 (Arizona, San Francisco, LAR, and Jacksonville) in comparison to 1 in 2021 (Kansas City) and 2 in 2022 (Pittsburgh, Cleveland).

While Trey Hendrickson is the most deserving to make the Pro Bowl, Chase is probably more likely. Fans across the league love him, the media loves him, and he is a household name along with other top receivers in the league like Cooper Kupp, Tyreek Hill, Justin Jefferson, etc.

After seeing his play down the stretch in 2022– specifically in the home game against the Browns and in the divisional round vs. the Bills– many were expecting Cam Taylor-Britt to take a leap in year two. However, while it was expected that he’d improve upon his rookie season, I didn’t expect it to be to this extent. I didn’t think he’d be CB1 material this early on, but he quickly has proved that he is.