Shedeur Sanders is a Pro Bowler.
The Cleveland Browns quarterback was named a Pro Bowl alternate on Monday, less than 12 months after a draft day slide that saw him tumble from first-round prospect to fifth-round pick.
Sanders will replace New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, who will represent the AFC against the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Feb. 8.
Players who make the Super Bowl have not appeared in the Pro Bowl since the NFL flopped the order of events — moving the All-Star event to the week before the league championship — in 2010.
Sanders joins fellow quarterbacks Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and Justin Herbert of the Los Angeles Chargers on the AFC Pro Bowl roster.
The son of Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders threw for 1,400 yards, tossing seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions in seven starts as a rookie.
Despite leading the Browns to a 3-4 record, Sanders’ performance was inconsistent. His 68.1 passer rating ranked second-to-last in the league among quarterbacks with at least two starts, only ahead of New York Jets undrafted rookie Brady Cook.
Sanders’ addition to the Pro Bowl roster led to widespread ridicule on social media.
“’Pro Bowl QB’ Shedeur Sanders is WILD! The NFL using the Pro Bowl to rage-bait everybody is hilarious,” E.J. Stewart, a commentator on WFAN in New York City, wrote on X. “This league is something else.”
The NFL moved its All-Star event to be part of the Super Bowl week festivities this year after previously hosting it in Las Vegas, Hawaii or Orlando, Florida.
This year’s event will be hosted in the San Francisco area ahead of the Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. San Francisco 49ers Hall of Famers Jerry Rice and Steve Young will serve as coaches for the Pro Bowl.
The much-maligned Pro Bowl Games became a flag football showcase in 2023, with other added events like dodgeball and tug-of-war. The resulting broadcast has seen steadily declining ratings in recent years.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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