Shedeur Sanders’ rookie season with the Cleveland Browns is ending with the quarterback being granted a spot in the 2026 Pro Bowl Games – albeit as a replacement player.
Sanders was selected as a fill-in on Monday, according to multiple reports. Jordan Schultz was first to report the news.
The AFC’s original selections at the position were the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen, Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert and New England Patriots’ Drake Maye. With the Patriots set to play in Super Bowl 60, Maye required a replacement. Herbert also could be a candidate to sit out after undergoing surgery in December to stabilize a fracture in his left hand.
Sanders started the final seven games of the season for the Browns, throwing for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns with 10 interceptions. His 56.6% completion rate and -.34 expected points added per dropback would have ranked last among all qualified passers had Sanders cleared the bar for minimum number of passing attempts.
After the season, general manager Andrew Berry praised the fifth-round pick for his progress but stopped short of saying that he would remain the team’s starter in 2026.
“I think we saw a lot of progress with Shedeur this year,” Berry said. “I think that’s both mentally, physically, playing the position. He’s still very much a work in progress, like many rookie quarterbacks are.
“But I think we saw some really good things in terms of his playmaking, his accuracy, his ability to extend with his feet. And I think I’d also give him credit, as well as our offensive staff, for bringing him along in terms of his pocket management, his situational awareness and things of that nature.”
The 2026 Pro Bowl games will be held on Feb. 3 in San Francisco.