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It’s been several years since the NFL Pro Bowl resembled anything near the all-star game that many of us grew up watching and loving.
Gone are the days of Sean Taylor sending Brian Moorman to the shadow realm on a fake punt just because he could. But on Monday, the league made sure to put the final nail in the coffin of the once-great game.
Now, many would have you believe that was the case in 2023 when Baltimore Ravens backup quarterback Tyler Huntley got the nod after just six starts in place of an injured Lamar Jackson.
But Monday’s news may well have surpassed that.
Shedeur Sanders Named To AFC Pro Bowl Roster Despite Historically Bad Season
With Drake Maye advancing to the Super Bowl with the New England Patriots, it opened up a quarterback spot on the AFC Pro Bowl team next to Josh Allen and Justin Herbert.
Neither Patrick Mahomes, nor Bo Nix or Daniel Jones were available, so the NFL did the next most logical thing and selected … Shedeur Sanders.
Now, sure, some players almost certainly turned down the invitation, especially on such short notice. But you’re telling us that none of Trevor Lawrence, Cam Ward, CJ Stroud, Lamar Jackson, Joe Flacco, Joe Burrow, Aaron Rodgers or Tua Tagovailoa wanted in?
Yes, Rodgers probably declined. As did Jackson, Burrow and Flacco. And sure, Stroud and Tagovailoa were pretty putrid this season, as was Ward. But they were all better than Sanders, and it wasn’t all that close.
In seven starts, Sanders had a QB rating of just 18.8. Not only is that the worst single-season QBR in Browns’ franchise history for players with at least six starts, it’s also the second-worst QBR in NFL history among players with at least six starts, ahead of only Jimmy Clausen.
Yes, Sanders is popular, albeit divisive. But he had a historically bad season, and the Pro Bowl is meant to be a reward for the league’s best players!
Has it strayed from that in recent years? Sure. But this is straight-up giving up by the NFL. At this point, the league should just abandon the game, because there’s no coming back from this.