From being a fifth-round pick to now making his mark as a Pro Bowler, Shedeur Sanders, quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, has been named to the Pro Bowl as a replacement, as first noted by Jordan Schultz. Sanders is notable for being the first fifth-round rookie to achieve this since Puka Nacua of the Rams.

The original Pro Bowl selections for the AFC included Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, and Drake Maye. With Maye heading to the Super Bowl, his spot became available for a new quarterback in the NFL’s all-star games.

This season, Sanders tallied a record of 3-4 as a starter, completing 56.6% of his passes across eight games played, amassing 1,400 yards, with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. His tenure started as the inactive third quarterback, but he earned his first career start in Week 12 against the Las Vegas Raiders, leading the Browns to a 24-10 victory with a stat line of 11 completions on 20 attempts for 209 yards, alongside one touchdown and one interception. This moment marked him as the first Browns quarterback to win in their inaugural start since 1995.

Despite this achievement, Sanders faced challenges, recording the second-lowest completion percentage since his debut and leading the league with 10 interceptions in the latter part of the season, all while facing significant pressure with 51% of his dropbacks.

Sanders, the son of NFL icon Deion Sanders, dropped to the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft despite being recognized as the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year in his final year at Colorado. He was the second quarterback picked by the Browns, following Dillon Gabriel from Oregon in the third round. As Deshaun Watson is expected to return for the 2026 season and the Browns are in the process of hiring a new coach, questions linger about Sanders’ position within the organization, but he has now joined the ranks of rookies who have made the Pro Bowl.