Updated Jan. 26, 2026, 10:41 p.m. ET

Who says history doesn’t repeat itself? Surely no one within the NFL offices has to make decisions on rookies and whether they are worthy of offseason accolades. 

For the second time this offseason, Tennessee Titans‘ rookie quarterback Cam Ward was passed over for a significant offseason achievement, and this time, it was truly a shock. NFL Insider Jordan Schultz reports that the NFL has added Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders to the Pro Bowl roster, and once again passed over Ward (or any other more deserving quarterback). 

Just a quick glance at Sanders’ stats shows why NFL fans have been turning off the Pro Bowl and its new format: some of the players don’t belong there, and the Pro Bowl games are a joke.  In eight games in 2025, Sanders completed 120-of-212 passes for 1,400 yards with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions (a QBR of 18.9), sitting outside the top 32 in QBR. 

Using Ward as a comparison, he finished the season by starting all 17 games and going 323-of-540 for 3,169 yards with 17 touchdowns and only seven interceptions; quality numbers for a rookie quarterback, and far better than Sanders. And it’s not just Ward; other quarterbacks are more deserving than Sanders and should have gotten the call.

Instead, the league decided to keep the public relations team rolling and also give the Browns coaching search a boost. After all, their next head coach will inherit a Pro Bowl quarterback. 

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