Shedeur Sanders Make First Comments Since Being Added to Pro Bowl Roster

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Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders was named to the AFC’s Pro Bowl roster this week, replacing Drake Maye as the conference’s third signal caller with the Patriots headed to Super Bowl LX.
While Sanders was sub-par at best throughout his rookie season in Cleveland, he—much like his father, Deion—has turned into a cultural phenomenon and as such, garnered enough votes from NFL fans to join the squad. The quarterback made his first comments acknowledging the honor on Tuesday.
“Thank you God,” said Sanders, via cleveland.com's Mary Kay Cabot. “I’m beyond excited and grateful for all the love and support from the coaches, players, and fans. This wouldn’t be possible without the support behind me. Still plenty of work to do.”
Sanders was selected by the Browns with the 144th pick in the 2025 NFL draft and originally opened the season as the team’s third-string quarterback behind Joe Flacco and fellow rookie Dillon Gabriel.
The 23-year-old eventually appeared in eight games for Cleveland throughout the season—starting seven—while completing 56.6% of his passes for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions while posting a passer rating of just 68.1. The team went 3–4 with him under center and finished 5–12 before firing coach Kevin Stefanski.
The Browns, still without a new coach, will likely keep the door open for a new quarterback in 2026, even with a “Pro Bowler” already in the building.
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Mike Kadlick is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, he covered the New England Patriots for WEEI sports radio in Boston and continues to do so for CLNS Media. He has a master's in public relations from Boston University. Kadlick is also an avid runner and a proud lover of all things pizza.
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