The NFL Invited Justin Fields to Pro Bowl But He Declined, Per League Insider

It seems Shedeur Sanders wasn’t the only unexpected call the NFL made as it attempted to find another quarterback to represent the AFC at Tuesday’s Pro Bowl Games. According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Jets quarterback Justin Fields, who was benched midway through the 2025 season, also received an invite from the league to participate in the event, but turned down the offer.

Fields was reportedly approached by the league about participating in Tuesday’s Pro Bowl, but informed the NFL that he was focused on his offseason training. It’s not clear if that offer was made before or after Sanders was named to the Pro Bowl roster.

Fields, of course, is not at all deserving of Pro Bowl status as far as his performance in 2025 goes. The Jets quarterback threw just seven touchdown passes and one interception in nine games this year. He was held under 100 passing yards in four of his nine starts and threw for more than 250 yards just one time. In the end, he was benched for veteran Tyrod Taylor, who was later supplanted by Brady Cook. It’s safe to say Fields would have faced a fair bit of scrutiny had he accepted the offer to partake in the Pro Bowl.

The original three quarterbacks selected to participate were Drake Maye, Josh Allen and Justin Herbert, all three of whom were replaced with alternates. Tuesday’s event will feature Joe Burrow, Joe Flacco and Sanders representing the AFC. Of course, among the other AFC quarterbacks who weren’t invited or, more likely, rejected an offer from the NFL to partake in the Pro Bowl Games include Trevor Lawrence, Lamar Jackson and Aaron Rodgers.

Sanders’s addition to the Pro Bowl roster generated quite the stir on social media, as perplexed NFL fans wondered how the rookie was even in consideration for the honor. If Fields had accepted the invite, the response from fans would’ve surely been similar.

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