AFC & NFC NOTES FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 12/22/15
2016 PRO BOWL PLAYERS ANNOUNCED
PRO BOWL KICKS OFF SUPER BOWL WEEK IN PRIMETIME ON ESPN ON SUNDAY, JANUARY 31
The Carolina Panthers placed a league-best 10 players in the 2016 Pro Bowl presented by USAA, which will be played on Sunday, January 31, 2016 and televised live on ESPN at 7:00 PM ET from Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The Pro Bowl players were determined by the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches. Each group’s vote counted one-third toward determining the 86 Pro Bowl selections announced today. Two additional “need” players will be chosen by each head coach and must be long snappers. The NFL is the only sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches and players to determine its all-star teams. In 1995, the NFL became the first professional sports league to offer online all-star voting.
Players will be assigned to teams through the Pro Bowl Draft presented by USAA, which will air on Wednesday, January 27 on ESPN2 (7:30 PM ET). Two Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receivers – MICHAEL IRVIN and JERRY RICE – will serve as NFL Legends captains for the 2016 Pro Bowl. Irvin and Rice return for the second time after being the winning captains during the previous two Pro Bowls.
Five-time Pro Bowler DARREN WOODSON (Team Irvin) and two-time Pro Bowler ERIC DAVIS (Team Rice) will serve as defensive co-captains. The NFL legends will also each be assisted by two active player captains and one NFL.com fantasy football champion in the draft process.
The Pro Bowl will continue using the revised game format that debuted with the 2014 game, with NFL Legends captains having final say over Pro Bowl Draft decisions. The Pro Bowl will remain “unconferenced,” with several key playing rules changed. Players were selected without regard to conference in voting by fans, coaches and players and will later be assigned to teams via the Pro Bowl Draft.
Twenty-five of the players named to the Pro Bowl today are first-time All-Stars, including three rookies – running back TODD GURLEY of St. Louis, return specialist TYLER LOCKETT of Seattle and cornerback MARCUS PETERS of Kansas City.
The AFC had 38 different players named All-Stars and 48 NFC players were honored.
Twenty-six teams had at least one player selected to the 2016 Pro Bowl and 21 clubs had multiple players chosen as All- Stars.
The 2016 Pro Bowl coaching staffs will be from the losing teams in the AFC and NFC Divisional playoffs with the best regular-season records.
Under terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, each player on the winning Pro Bowl team receives $58,000, while each player on the losing squad earns $29,000.
Tickets to the 2016 Pro Bowl are on sale through ProBowl.com. Fans may also purchase individual game tickets through Ticketmaster by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets start as low as $30.
Special group ticket packages, including access to gameday and Pro Bowl practice experiences, are also available directly through the NFL. Fans can visit ProBowl.com or call 1-844-4PB-TKTS for more information.
The 2016 Pro Bowl presented by USAA is an extension of USAA’s Official Military Appreciation Sponsorship of the NFL, which delivers military appreciation experiences to military, veterans and their families at NFL games, training camps and on military bases throughout the NFL season. USAA and the NFL will honor the more than 50,000 military men and women in Hawaii with a number of military appreciation initiatives throughout the week of Pro Bowl. As a reflection of USAA’s mission to support military through its sponsorship, the 2016 Pro Bowl Draft presented by USAA will take place at Wheeler Army Airfield. During the week, USAA will also honor and commemorate the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
2016 PRO BOWL PLAYERS BY POSITION (*First-time Pro Bowl selection)
OFFENSE (42)
QUARTERBACKS (6) TIGHT ENDS (4) Tom Brady, New England * Tyler Eifert, Cincinnati Cam Newton, Carolina Rob Gronkowski, New England Carson Palmer, Arizona * Travis Kelce, Kansas City Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Greg Olsen, Carolina Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Russell Wilson, Seattle TACKLES (6) Jason Peters, Philadelphia WIDE RECEIVERS (8) Tyron Smith, Dallas Odell Beckham, Jr., New York Giants Joe Staley, San Francisco Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Joe Thomas, Cleveland Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Andrew Whitworth, Cincinnati A.J. Green, Cincinnati Trent Williams, Washington * DeAndre Hopkins, Houston Calvin Johnson, Detroit GUARDS (6) Julio Jones, Atlanta * David DeCastro, Pittsburgh Brandon Marshall, New York Jets Mike Iupati, Arizona Zack Martin, Dallas RUNNING BACKS (6) Josh Sitton, Green Bay * Devonta Freeman, Atlanta * Trai Turner, Carolina * Todd Gurley, St. Louis Marshal Yanda, Baltimore Doug Martin, Tampa Bay LeSean McCoy, Buffalo CENTERS (4) Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Travis Frederick, Dallas * Jonathan Stewart, Carolina Ryan Kalil, Carolina Alex Mack, Cleveland FULLBACKS (2) Mike Pouncey, Miami Marcel Reece, Oakland Mike Tolbert, Carolina
DEFENSE (36)
DEFENSIVE ENDS (6) INSIDE/MIDDLE LINEBACKERS (4) * Ezekiel Ansah, Detroit NaVorro Bowman, San Francisco * Michael Bennett, Seattle Luke Kuechly, Carolina * Chandler Jones, New England Clay Matthews, Green Bay * Khalil Mack, Oakland Bobby Wagner, Seattle J.J. Watt, Houston * Muhammad Wilkerson, New York Jets CORNERBACKS (8) * Malcolm Butler, New England INTERIOR LINEMEN (6) Chris Harris, Jr., Denver Geno Atkins, Cincinnati * Josh Norman, Carolina Calais Campbell, Arizona * Marcus Peters, Kansas City * Fletcher Cox, Philadelphia Patrick Peterson, Arizona Aaron Donald, St. Louis Darrelle Revis, New York Jets Gerald McCoy, Tampa Bay Richard Sherman, Seattle * Kawann Short, Carolina Aqib Talib, Denver
OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS (6) FREE SAFETIES (3) * Jamie Collins, New England * Tyrann Mathieu, Arizona * Thomas Davis, Carolina * Reggie Nelson, Cincinnati Tamba Hali, Kansas City Earl Thomas, Seattle Justin Houston, Kansas City Von Miller, Denver STRONG SAFETIES (3) DeMarcus Ware, Denver Eric Berry, Kansas City Kam Chancellor, Seattle Charles Woodson, Oakland
SPECIALISTS (8)
PUNTERS (2) RETURN SPECIALISTS (2) * Sam Koch, Baltimore * Tyler Lockett, Seattle Johnny Hekker, St. Louis Darren Sproles, Philadelphia
PLACEKICKERS (2) SPECIAL TEAMERS (2) * Dan Bailey, Dallas Justin Bethel, Arizona Stephen Gostkowski, New England Matthew Slater, New England
2016 PRO BOWL PLAYERS BY CLUB (*First-time Pro Bowl selection)
PLAYER POSITION PRO BOWLS
ARIZONA (7) Justin Bethel Special Teamer 3 Calais Campbell Interior Lineman 2 Larry Fitzgerald Wide Receiver 9 Mike Iupati Guard 4 Tyrann Mathieu Free Safety 1 * Carson Palmer Quarterback 3 Patrick Peterson Cornerback 5
ATLANTA (2) Devonta Freeman Running Back 1 * Julio Jones Wide Receiver 3
BALTIMORE (2) Sam Koch Punter 1 * Marshal Yanda Guard 5
BUFFALO (1) LeSean McCoy Running Back 4
CAROLINA (10) Thomas Davis Outside Linebacker 1 * Ryan Kalil Center 5 Luke Kuechly Inside/Middle Linebacker 3 Cam Newton Quarterback 3 Josh Norman Cornerback 1 * Greg Olsen Tight End 2 Kawann Short Interior Lineman 1 * Jonathan Stewart Running Back 1 * Mike Tolbert Fullback 2 Trai Turner Guard 1 *
CINCINNATI (5) Geno Atkins Interior Lineman 4 Tyler Eifert Tight End 1 * A.J. Green Wide Receiver 5 Reggie Nelson Free Safety 1 * Andrew Whitworth Tackle 2
CLEVELAND (2) Alex Mack Center 3 Joe Thomas Tackle 9
DALLAS (4) Dan Bailey Placekicker 1 * Travis Frederick Center 2 Zack Martin Guard 2 Tyron Smith Tackle 3
DENVER (4) Chris Harris, Jr. Cornerback 2 Von Miller Outside Linebacker 4 Aqib Talib Cornerback 3 DeMarcus Ware Outside Linebacker 9
DETROIT (2) Ezekiel Ansah Defensive End 1 * Calvin Johnson Wide Receiver 6
GREEN BAY (3) Clay Matthews Inside/Middle Linebacker 6 Aaron Rodgers Quarterback 5 Josh Sitton Guard 3
HOUSTON (2) DeAndre Hopkins Wide Receiver 1 * J.J. Watt Defensive End 4
KANSAS CITY (5) Eric Berry Strong Safety 4 Tamba Hali Outside Linebacker 5 Justin Houston Outside Linebacker 4 Travis Kelce Tight End 1 * Marcus Peters Cornerback 1 *
MIAMI (1) Mike Pouncey Center 3
MINNESOTA (1) Adrian Peterson Running Back 7
NEW ENGLAND (7) Tom Brady Quarterback 11 Malcolm Butler Cornerback 1 * Jamie Collins Outside Linebacker 1 * Stephen Gostkowski Placekicker 4 Rob Gronkowski Tight End 4 Chandler Jones Defensive End 1 * Matthew Slater Special Teamer 5
NEW YORK GIANTS (1) Odell Beckham, Jr. Wide Receiver 2
NEW YORK JETS (3) Brandon Marshall Wide Receiver 6 Darrelle Revis Cornerback 7 Muhammad Wilkerson Defensive End 1 *
OAKLAND (3) Khalil Mack Defensive End 1 * Marcel Reece Fullback 4 Charles Woodson Strong Safety 9
PHILADELPHIA (3) Fletcher Cox Interior Lineman 1 * Jason Peters Tackle 8 Darren Sproles Return Specialist 2
PITTSBURGH (3) Antonio Brown Wide Receiver 4 David DeCastro Guard 1 * Ben Roethlisberger Quarterback 4
ST. LOUIS (3) Aaron Donald Interior Lineman 2 Todd Gurley Running Back 1 * Johnny Hekker Punter 2
SAN FRANCISCO (2) NaVorro Bowman Inside/Middle Linebacker 3 Joe Staley Tackle 5
SEATTLE (7) Michael Bennett Defensive End 1 * Kam Chancellor Strong Safety 4 Tyler Lockett Return Specialist 1 * Richard Sherman Cornerback 3 Earl Thomas Free Safety 5 Bobby Wagner Inside/Middle Linebacker 2 Russell Wilson Quarterback 3
TAMPA BAY (2) Doug Martin Running Back 2 Gerald McCoy Interior Lineman 4
WASHINGTON (1) Trent Williams Tackle 4
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