The 2025 NFL season was anything but a typical rookie year for Shedeur Sanders. The sixth-round selection by the Cleveland Browns didn’t see the field until November, when he was thrown into the action in a heated AFC North matchup against the Baltimore Ravens. Still, months later, Sanders earned an invite to the Pro Bowl Games in his first year in the league. But how did that happen?
Appearing in just eight games throughout the 2025 NFL campaign, Sanders showed a lot of potential in Cleveland. The Browns haven’t had an established starting quarterback in a very long time. Enter Sanders—though he had his fair share of rookie mistakes here and there, that could finally change for the franchise on the shores of Lake Erie.
However, Sanders’ addition to the AFC roster for the 2026 Pro Bowl wasn’t without some chance playing a role. Sanders hadn’t been invited to the NFL’s “All-Star” event, but he was named in after Drake Maye had to step down. With the New England Patriots making it to Super Bowl LX, and the Pro Bowl being held during Super Bowl week, an alternate had to be named.
Obviously, the sophomore star out of the University of North Carolina can’t participate in the Pro Bowl while gearing up for the biggest game of his career, so Sanders was named in as he was next in line.
AFC quarterback room
With Sanders being called up to represent the American Football Conference in the 2026 Pro Bowl, the rookie out of the University of Colorado in Boulder joined a group of quarterbacks made up entirely of alternates. Moreover, all three quarterbacks are play in the AFC North.
Sanders will be joined by Cincinnati Bengals quarterbacks Joe Burrow and Joe Flacco, the latter was actually Shedeur’s teammate in Cleveland early on the season. Burrow was named to his third career Pro Bowl, replacing Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers. Meanwhile, Flacco earned his first Pro Bowl invitation after Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills stepped down from the event due to injury.
What it means for them
While many players take the Pro Bowl for granted and some opt out of it, Sanders and Flacco are both extremely grateful for the opportunity and recognition. For the rookie, being named a Pro Bowler after such a rough, adversity-filled season means a lot. For Flacco, the fact he won a Super Bowl in his fifth NFL season but had to wait until he was 41 to make a Pro Bowl paints a clear picture of how much he’s been through.
Burrow, who bounced back after yet another season-endangering injury, being in San Fran for the Pro Bowl says a lot about his resilience. At the end of the day, neither quarterback was the first option to represent the AFC, but they’ve done enough to deserve the opportunity.