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The NFL world was stunned when news first broke of Shedeur Sanders making the AFC Pro Bowl team. Sanders' rookie season was not great, or even average, leading to outrage over the decision to name him to the squad.
Then it all started to make sense. Nearly all of the AFC quarterbacks, most of which had better seasons than Sanders, were injured, playing in the Super Bowl or simply didn't want to participate. That then led to Joe Flacco, Sanders' former Cleveland Browns teammate - who only started 10 games - earning a Pro Bowl nod as well. It was all quickly becoming a farce.
Even Justin Fields declined a Pro Bowl Games invite
Right before the Pro Bowl Games take place, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport splashed even more cold water on Sanders' accolade. Justin Fields, whose middling performance this past season led to a benching on the New York Jets, declined an invited to the Pro Bowl Games. He opted to train by himself instead.
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The general consensus is that the Pro Bowl distinction has lost all of its credibility. The NFL needing to stoop to the bottom of the barrel in order to get quarterbacks to participate is as clear of a sign as any that change needs to happen.
Sanders will always have "Pro Bowl" on his resume, but it's likely that that distinction simply won't hold much weight in the future. At the least, Sanders is having a fun time at the Pro Bowl Games, rubbing shoulders with some of the best players at other positions. It's a great experience for the rookie, one way or another.