NFL Pro Bowl selection includes 10 Carolina Panthers players

The Carolina Panthers lead the way with 10 representatives among the NFL players selected for the Pro Bowl, which will be played at the Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on January 31.

The Panthers, who are 14-0 and seeking a rare perfect season, had quarterback and MVP candidate Cam Newton picked along with cornerback Josh Norman, tight end Greg Olsen, running backs Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert, guard Trai Turner, center Ryan Kalil, defensive tackle Kawann Short and linebackers Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis.

Norman's rival Odell Beckham Jr, who engaged in a highly physical battle with the Carolina defender on Sunday that resulted in a one-game ban for the New York Giants receiver, has also been included.

Beckham Jr is joined by a group of standout wide receivers that includes Antonio Brown (Pittsburgh Steelers), Julio Jones (Atlanta Falcons) and DeAndre Hopkins (Houston Texas).

The Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots all had seven players selected, including quarterbacks Tom Brady - picked for the 11th time - Russell Wilson and Carson Palmer.

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

The other Seattle players chosen alongside Wilson were defensive end Michael Bennett, linebacker Bobby Wagner, strong safety Kam Chancellor, free safety Earl Thomas, cornerback Richard Sherman and rookie Tyler Lockett, who has been picked as a return specialist.

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

There are 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 is to retire at the end of the season, was selected to his ninth Pro Bowl.

On the defensive side, Houston's JJ Watt and New York Jets defensive back Darrelle Revis have been given the nod, while Arizona's Tyrann Mathieu was selected a day after it was announced he had suffered a season-ending ACL tear.

Hall of Fame wide receivers Jerry Rice and Michael Irvin will be the alumni captains, with their squads selected from the available talent pool four days before the game, which will feature "unconferenced" teams rather than AFC v NFC.

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