Shedeur Sanders Reacts to Pro Bowl Announcement amid NFL Rookie Season with Browns

Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders reacted to his stunning selection as a Pro Bowler as Drake Maye's replacement, saying he was "beyond excited and extremely grateful for all the love and support from the coaches, players and fans."

Sanders, 23, threw for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions in eight games this season, completing just 56.6 percent of his passes and taking 23 sacks. He was 3-4 as the team's starter after supplanting Dillon Gabriel.

Sanders, Josh Allen and Justin Herbert are currently the AFC's quarterbacks for this year's Pro Bowl.

It's very possible that a number of other possible alternates for Maye, who is headed to the Super Bowl and isn't available for the Pro Bowl, simply turned down an invitation. That potentially cleared the way for Sanders.

Players like Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, Aaron Rodgers, Cam Ward or C.J. Stroud would have all been far more deserving. But perhaps Jackson and Burrow weren't interested after dealing with injuries in 2025, Rodgers has bigger things to worry about as he mulls retirement and Stroud may need some time away from football after his rough postseason.

But no Lawrence (who was originally named an alternate) or Ward? Did they both turn down the opportunity as well?

That's important context we don't have.

However Sanders ended up in the game, it did accomplish one thing for the NFL—we are all talking about the Pro Bowl now.