Fitzgerald, Palmer, Peterson headline 7 Cardinals picked for Pro Bowl
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Seven Arizona Cardinals were voted in to play in the 2016 Pro Bowl -- the largest contingent for the franchise in its Arizona history.
The seven selections are quarterback Carson Palmer, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and guard Mike Iupati on offense, tackle Calais Campbell, cornerback Patrick Peterson and injured safety Tyrann Mathieu on defense and Justin Bethel on special teams.
Injured running back Chris Johnson was selected as an alternate.
The seven selections are the most for the Cardinals since 1977.
Fitzgerald is a nine-time Pro Bowl selection, which puts him one ahead of Hall of Fame safety for the most in franchise history. Only Jerry Rice (13) has earned more Pro Bowl selections as a wide receiver. He has 99 receptions and 1,131 receiving yards with two games remaining and needs five more receptions to break the franchise single-season record he set in 2005.
Palmer was selected for his third Pro Bowl, but his first since 2006. He has established a franchise record with 32 touchdown passes while leading the NFL's No. 1-ranked offense. He's passes for 4,277 yards and ranks second in the league in passer rating.
Peterson was selected for his fifth Pro Bowl in five seasons as a pro -- four in a row as a cornerback after being selected as a punt returner as a rookie. He joins Hall of Famer Ollie Matson as the only Cardinal to be selected to the Pro Bowl in his first five NFL seasons, and all-time greats Jim Brown, Barry Sanders and Emmitt Smith as the only players to be elected to five Pro Bowls before their 26th birthday.
Mathieu,, a first-time selection, was placed on injured reserve Tuesday after tearing the ACL in his knee. In 14 games, he had five interceptions, 16 passes defensed, 11 tackles for loss and 89 tackles.
Iupati, in his first season with the Cardinals after signing as a free agent from San Francisco, was selected for his fourth-consecutive Pro Bowl. He is the Cardinals' first offensive lineman selected for the Pro Bowl since Lomas Brown in 1996 and the first guard since Bob Young in 1979. He missed the season's first three games with a knee injury but has been a mainstay on the line since returning, helping the Cardinals rank sixth in the league in rushing yards (1,769) and fifth in fewest sacks allowed (23).
Campbell, earning his second consecutive Pro Bowl appearance, has 59 tackles, 2.4 sacks, two passes defensed and one fumble record. He has seven consecutive seasons with 50-plus tackles. His 46 career sacks rank fifth in franchise history.
Bethel was selected as a special teams player for the third consecutive season, one less than Ron Wolfley's franchise record. He leads the team with 13 special-teams tackles and has also become a key contributor on the defense as a reserve cornerback.
The Pro Bowl will be played Sunday, Jan. 31, in Honolulu. If the Cardinals have qualified for the Super Bowl, their players will be replaced on the Pro Bowl rosters.
