CINCINNATI -- Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green has been named to his fourth straight Pro Bowl while punter Kevin Huber is going for the first time, the NFL announced Tuesday night.
Green and Huber were chosen for the Jan. 25 game to be played in Glendale, Ariz., in voting done by fans, players and coaches. Each segment of voters counted one-third to the total tabulation.
"It's a great honor for both our guys, and kind of a contrasting situation," said Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis. "A.J. does not quite have the numbers he had the last few seasons, but the voters know he's missed time with injuries and has been not quite 100 percent at other times. They know he's still the player he always has been, if not better, when he's at full speed.
"As for Kevin, it's an honor well deserved and maybe just a little late in coming. He has been outstanding for us for several years. We ask Kevin to do special things with the ball. He doesn't get the opportunity like some guys to just stand back there and boom the ball as far as he can every time."
Huber currently ranks fifth in the NFL in gross punting average (46.7) and fourth in net (43.0). He is also in the top 10 (tied for ninth) in differential between inside-20 kicks and touchbacks (plus-21 at 27-6). His directional kicking has helped the Bengals allow no punt returns of more than 11 yards this season.
The Bengals picked Huber, a graduate of Cincinnati's McNicholas High School, out of the University of Cincinnati in the fifth round of the 2009 draft.
Huber had a rarity in Monday's 37-28 win against Denver. He had two touchbacks among his five punts and just one inside the 20 boot. It's the first time he's had more than one touchback in a game this season and the first time since Dec. 8, 2013 against Indianapolis that he's had more touchbacks than inside the 20 punts in a game. Huber has had only seven games in his six seasons in which he's had more than one touchback in a game and Monday was just the third time in the last 74 games in which he's had more touchbacks than inside the 20 punts.
He is the franchise's career leader in net and gross punting average and is on pace to establish new single-season records that he already holds in both categories.
Green leads the Bengals with 61 catches and six touchdown receptions this season and is 41 yards shy of a fourth straight 1,000-yard receiving season despite having missed multiple games due to injury. He suffered an injury to his right arm against the Broncos that limited his play Monday. It was the first time in his career he did not catch at least one pass when he played the majority of a game.
Green has produced five 100-yard games, including a career-best 224 yards on Dec. 7 vs. Pittsburgh. It is the econd-most yards receiving in a game in Bengals history. He set a career high for catches with 12 on Nov. 23 at Houston.
Green's four selections ties him for second among Bengals wide receivers to Chad Johnson, who had six. Green joins Isaac Curtis as the only Bengals to make the Pro Bowl in each of their first four seasons. Anthony Munoz leads all Bengals with 11 Pro Bowl selections.
For the second straight year the NFL is playing the Pro Bowl without conference affiliations, as had previously been the custom from 1970 to 2012. Team captains and Hall of Fame wide receivers Cris Carter and Michael Irvin will pick the teams from the Pro Bowl roster this season.
