Cincinnati Bengals gamers overdue for a Professional Bowl nod

The Cincinnati Bengals don’t get much national recognition, which includes players at an event like the Pro Bowl.

Last year these Bengals had no players on the Pro Bowl roster.

However, the feel-good mood in the team suggests that this will change in 2021. Looking ahead, some Bengals players here are due for a Pro Bowl appearance.

Remember, these are overdue players. So while names like Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins might be on Pro Bowl talk next year, they’re not overdue.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd (83) catches on Tuesday, Jan.
Cincinnati Bengals Ota

Boyd is one of the better slot receivers in football and has been a stone for the Bengals since his first 1,000 yard campaign in 2018. He replaced AJ Green there and has had no problems being number 1 since then. He may not give the most important numbers, but he deserves recognition.

Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon (28) runs through on Tuesday, Jan.
Cincinnati Bengals Ota

Mixon might have been on track for the Pro Bowl last year if he hadn’t sustained an injury that nagged him and limited him to six games. Previously he had over 2,200 rushing yards and 13 rushing scores and over 70 catches in the two previous seasons combined. He’s one of the league’s better all-rounders and feels like a favorite among the team’s players to hit a Pro Bowl next year.

Cincinnati Bengals’ DJ reader after an NFL football camp practice session in Cincinnati, Tuesday, August 18, 2020. (AP Photo / Aaron Doster)

Reader never got the attention he deserved in a handful of seasons in Houston while most focused on JJ Watt. But even Watt has admitted since Reader left that he was a key cog and was underrated. In an expanded role, Reader could have flashed enough last year to do a Pro Bowl with the Bengals if he hadn’t injured himself at the end of the season in October. He’s a favorite to do so in 2021.

November 1, 2020; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Bengals Free Safety Jessie Bates (30) intercepts the Tennessee Titans in the first quarter at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

It’s the border criminal Bates hasn’t made a Pro Bowl (ditto, because he missed the first-team all-pro last year). He’s falling behind bigger names like Minkah Fitzpatrick in the vote and that can’t be changed – for now. However, if Bates continues to play at his current level, sooner or later it will be hard to deny him.

December 8, 2019; Glendale, AZ, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Mike Hilton (28) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credits: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Given the numbers he’s put up and the fact that he played in Pittsburgh, it’s a little surprising that Hilton has shown no consideration for the Pro Bowl in the past. In the last year alone, he put down 39 tackles, three sacks, three interceptions, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries while again playing strong in coverage. He’s a statistics sheet filler who is sure to do more of this with the Bengals.