Shedeur Sanders Pro Bowl Controversy: Giants’ Jermaine Eluemunor Calls Selection a “Joke” Over Popularity vs. Merit
New York Giants offensive tackle Jermaine Eluemunor publicly criticized the NFL Pro Bowl selection process following the controversial announcement that Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders would replace Drake Maye as an AFC participant.
As Bounding Into Sports reported yesterday, Sanders’ selection is one of the “most insane” selections in the history of the Pro Bowl. Eluemunor appears to agree.
Taking to social media, Eluemunor labeled the event a “joke” and highlighted what he perceives as favoritism toward popular players over those with proven merit.
“No hate, but the Pro Bowl a joke lol,” he wrote on X. “AT (Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas) Top LT in the NFL hasn’t made one yet, but if you’re popular you get in. Laughable at this point.”
Sanders’ inclusion, to put it mildly, marks a rare honor for a rookie with limited and underwhelming on-field contributions. Or, as the former Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team selection says, it’s a joke.
No hate but the Pro Bowl a joke lol. AT Top LT in the NFL hasn’t made one yet but if you’re popular you get in. Laughable at this point
— Jermaine Eluemunor (@JEluemunor) January 26, 2026
Sanders, drafted 144th overall by the Browns in the 2025 NFL Draft after a highly publicized college career at Colorado, appeared in just eight games as a rookie, posting below-average statistics that many argue do not warrant Pro Bowl recognition.
Eluemunor also questioning why other rookies like Cam Ward or Jaxson Dart weren’t selected instead. We’d add Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow, Houston Texans C.J. Stroud, and Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens to that list.
There are probably second- and third-string quarterbacks more deserving than Shedeur.
“Like I said, no hate, but how’s Cam Ward not the replacement?” Eluemunor said in a follow-up post, “lol both him and (Jaxson) Dart went off this season.”
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The backlash underscores ongoing criticisms of the Pro Bowl as a popularity contest rather than a true showcase of the league’s best talent, with fan voting and name recognition—bolstered by Sanders’ famous father, Deion Sanders—playing outsized roles.
As the 2026 Pro Bowl Games approach, calls to reform or even scrap the format continue to grow, highlighting tensions between entertainment value and honoring genuine achievement in the NFL.
Shedeur Sanders’ rookie season with the Browns in 2025 was widely regarded as historically poor, even by the franchise’s already low standards for quarterback play.
The fifth-round pick finished with a dismal 68.1 passer rating over his seven starts (appearing in eight games total), completing just 56.6% of his 212 passes for 1,400 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, while posting one of the lowest QBR marks (around 18.9) among qualified quarterbacks.
But he’ll always be able to say he was part of the Pro Bowl. What a joke.