Shedeur Sanders’ Pro Bowl nod has caused significant controversy in the NFL community. Many are beginning to question the legitimacy of the event, as the QB clearly did not have the stats to deserve the selection. But former NFL MVP Cam Newton isn’t surprised by the decision at all. He says the league knew exactly what it was doing.
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Sanders threw 7 TDs to 10 INTs in the 2025 season and struggled immensely at times while trying to find his way as a rookie. He didn’t even start until Week 12 of the season. And that is why his selection to the Pro Bowl has sparked backlash.
Many fans are questioning how Sanders was selected over someone like Trevor Lawrence, who led his Jaguars to the playoffs. Well, Newton has an answer. “When you talk about how did Shedeur make it and they ain’t even got Trevor Lawrence? Man, look, bro, it’s a popularity contest at the end of the day. Because it’s still a business,” Newton began on his podcast 4th & 1.
“They looked around and said, ‘Hey man, we’ve still got to meet our visual quota. Who’s gonna be the bigger story?’ We knew we was going to get y’all to rage bait,” added the former QB.
It’s hard to disagree with Cam. But what’s crazy is that the Pro Bowl is the equivalent of another sport’s All-Star game. It’s supposed to showcase the best players from that season, not the most popular. By the end of their careers, Pro Bowl selections are often used to judge a player’s inclusion in the Hall of Fame. But Newton doesn’t think that is the reality of the Pro Bowl we watch anymore.
Later on, the former QB explained why the game feels less important than it used to. “Given the circumstances of what the Pro Bowl is and what it used to be is two different Pro Bowls… That ain’t nothing but a flag football game,” Newton said, adding,
“See, I was still playing when they had real pads. They was ti**y bumping, but they weren’t out there colliding, like Sean Taylor hit that punter. It was one of those things, like, we’re still playing football, respectful to people’s careers.”
Nowadays, players compete in 7-on-7 flag football in a multi-day format for the event, revolving around skills challenges and fan-voted participation. It is completely different from how it used to be.
However, Pro Bowls and All-Star events are facing somewhat of a crisis across all sports right now. Viewership is in the gutter, and fans continue to question the importance of what is ultimately an exhibition game.
In the NFL, players have begun to reference All-Pro selections as a better way to categorize the best of the best. So, we may need to rethink how we judge future Hall of Famers by placing less emphasis on Pro Bowl selections.
