Carolina quarterback Cam Newton was among a league-high 10 players selected from the undefeated Carolina Panthers to participate in next month's NFL Pro Bowl all-star game, the league announced.

Retired NFL stars Michael Irvin and Jerry Rice will select their squads from the available talent pool four days before the January 31 contest at Honolulu.

The unbeaten Panthers' members of the Pro Bowl also include running backs Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert, tight end Greg Olsen, guard Trai Turner, center Ryan Kalil, defensive tackle Kawann Short, cornerback Josh Norman and linebackers Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis.

The Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks and defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots each had seven Pro Bowl picks, including their quarterbacks, Arizona's Carson Palmer, Seattle's Russell Wilson and New England's Tom Brady, who was named to his 11th career Pro Bowl lineup.

Other Cardinals selected were receiver Larry Fitzgerald, guard Mike Iupati, defensive end Calais Campbell, cornerback Patrick Peterson, free safety Tyrann Mathieu and special teams player Justin Bethel.

Seattle players chosen included defensive end Michael Bennett, linebacker Bobby Wagner, strong safety Kam Chancellor, free safety Earl Thomas, cornerback Richard Sherman and rookie return specialist Tyler Lockett.

New England's selections included tight end Rob Gronkowski, defensive end Chandler Jones, linebacker Jamie Collins, cornerback Malcolm Butler, special teams player Matthew Slater and kicker Stephen Gostkowski.

In all, 86 players were chosen, including 25 first-time Pro Bowl players, three of them rookies -- Lockett, St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley and Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters.

Oakland Raiders safety Charles Woodson, who announced Tuesday that he will retire after the season, was selected for his ninth Pro Bowl.

Each player on the winning Pro Bowl team receives $58,000, double what the losing team players will be paid.
Source: AFP