Even the supremely-confident Shedeur Sanders was caught off guard when he was added to the Pro Bowl Games as a replacement.
The Cleveland Browns’ rookie earned his first Pro Bowl nod last week, being named as a replacement for Super Bowl-bound New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. Sanders, who recently spent some time in Paris, admitted he was not expecting the honor.
“Yes, I was surprised,” Sanders said on Monday. “It wasn’t like I was just sitting there expecting it. … I just didn’t have too much thought in it.
“I’m not going to lie, a lot of the time I’m taking it day by day. … If you would tell me that this was going to happen at the beginning of the year, I couldn’t say that that would’ve happened.”
It’s been a roller-coaster season for Sanders. After a standout college career with stops at Jackson State and Colorado, he entered the draft viewed as a potential early first-round pick. Instead, he slid all the way to the fifth round, where the Browns scooped him up at No. 144 overall. Sanders opened the year buried on the depth chart as Cleveland’s emergency quarterback behind Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel — but eventually, he got his shot.
Sanders took over as Cleveland’s starter for the final seven games of the season, making his first career start in Week 12 against the Las Vegas Raiders. He became the first Browns rookie quarterback to win his debut start since Eric Zeier in 1995. Sanders finished the season with 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He is the first Browns quarterback to make the Pro Bowl since Derek Anderson in 2007.
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Learning at Pro Bowl
The Pro Bowl has lost some of its luster and the league has experimented with ways to elevate both viewership and importance. But for Sanders, it’s been a valueable experience to be around some of the NFL’s best.
“I’ve already gained (a lot) here (just) talking to a lot of great players, seeing Joe Flacco again, just meeting people,” Sanders said. “It’s a great environment. I’m excited to be here.
“This (whole) year is my introduction to life in a different perspective, so I was thankful for it. I was thankful that everything happened how it happened because it helped me out as a person.”
Flacco and Joe Burrow — both quarterbacks for the Cincinnati Bengals — join Sanders on the AFC side. For the NFC, Jalen Hurts, Dak Prescott and Jared Goff will be the quarterbacks.
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Facing Offseason of Uncertainty
Sanders now has a Pro Bowl on his resume. But his starting spot in Cleveland moving forward is not a guarantee.
“I think we saw a lot of progress with Shedeur this year. I think that’s both mentally, physically, playing the position. He’s still very much a work in progress like many rookie quarterbacks are,” Browns general manager Andrew Berry said at the end of the season. “Now that all being said, we’re going to do our work on the quarterback market. It’s too important of a position and it’s something that has to be solidified. I can’t sit here and tell you today, you know, whether the solution for or the starter in 2026 is internal or external.”
Deshaun Watson and Dillon Gabriel are also under contract for next season. Watson — who is in the final year of a $230 million guaranteed contract — is coming off two Achilles surgeries that forced him to miss all of last season. Gabriel started six games, going 1-5 in those contests.
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders Makes Admission on Pro Bowl Inclusion