As the football world shifts focus to the Super Bowl after the conference championship games, a new debate has sparked among the fans over the Pro Bowl selection of Cleveland Browns‘ Shedeur Sanders as a replacement for New England Patriots QB Drake Maye. The young quarterback didn’t have an extraordinary rookie season, and hence his selection drew backlash, with critics deeming the league’s decision a popularity-seeking move.

While many continue to call out Sanders, Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin has defended the Browns’ QB1.

“Nobody cares about the Pro Bowl. Now, everybody cares. Everybody’s talking about the Pro Bowl,” Irvin said in a recent video on his YouTube channel. “Nobody was talking about the Pro Bowl, but now everybody’s talking about the Pro Bowl. All of that may have something to do with it. But I’m going to tell you something. Shedeur walking amongst those guys and just being around people that calling him a Pro Bowler in his rookie year is a hell of an accomplishment. I don’t care how you say we get here.”

With this comment, Michael Irvin highlights how the Pro Bowl isn’t the cutthroat competition it once was, where only the best of the best players competed. Rather, it has turned into an event that doesn’t get enough recognition. But now with Sanders’ selection, there’s real buzz around the Pro Bowl, and hence his selection shouldn’t be brushed away.

While the critics are right about Shedeur Sanders not being a top quarterback, the Browns’ rookie completed 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions across eight total games with a 3-4 record as a starter. Furthermore, Pro Football Network graded him 42nd out of their 43 eligible quarterbacks. Among quarterbacks to throw 200-plus times, his 68.1 quarterback rating was the lowest in football.

However, his popularity among NFL fans can’t be ignored. Sanders boasts a combined following across X, Instagram, and TikTok that approaches 4 million, solidifying his status as a top-trending global athlete. His selection was also influenced by several other factors. Top QB alternate Trevor Lawrence opted not to play in the 2026 Pro Bowl. Additionally, other top AFC signal-callers like Patrick Mahomes, Daniel Jones, and Bo Nix were unavailable after suffering season-ending injuries.

As the discussion around this selection continues among the fans, Shedeur Sanders was elated to receive this opportunity to be part of the Pro Bowl.

Shedeur Sanders breaks the silence on Pro Bowl selection

After a rookie season in the spotlight, Shedeur Sanders expressed gratitude for his selection to the AFC Pro Bowl roster, despite widespread social media criticism over his selection as Drake Maye’s replacement.

“Thank you, God,” Sanders said in a release provided by the Browns. “I’m beyond excited and extremely grateful for all the love and support from the coaches, players, and fans. This wouldn’t be possible without the support behind me. Still plenty of work to do.”

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With this nod, Sanders is the first Browns signal-caller to be named to the Pro Bowl since Derek Anderson in 2007. He joins Otto Graham (1950-54), Milt Plum (1960-61), Frank Ryan (1964-66), Bill Nelsen (1969), Brian Sipe (1980), Bernie Kosar (1987), and Anderson as the only Cleveland quarterbacks to make the Pro Bowl.

Sanders is the seventh Browns rookie to be named to the Pro Bowl and the first since Denzel Ward in 2018. In the 2026 Pro Bowl Games, the rookie quarterback will join Ward and Myles Garrett on the AFC roster and will hope to make the most of this opportunity to put forth an improved performance in his sophomore season in 2026.