The Pro Bowl Games aren't what they used to be. Heck, they were never all that great. A glorified exhibition can only offer so much. But the last few seasons, it's been so much worse as the NFL tries to find a solution to its lacking All-Star showcase. An event that used to feature the best in the NFL (non-Super Bowl team edition) has since been replaced with a group full of alternate who, quite frankly, should not be playing.
2026 is no exception to this rule, as we'll outline below. Lifetime achievement awards belong at the NFL Honors, not in a game – or even 7-on-7 flag football showcase – which is meant to outline the best of that particular season.
TJ Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
As a Steelers fan, this is hard to admit, but Watt is on the downswing of his career. At 31 years old, Watt did little to earn a Pro Bowl spot in 2025-26. If anything, Watt only made this game as an alternate because there were few name brands available to the NFL.
Watt had just seven sacks this past season. He was healthy this year, and was outplayed for much of the year by teammates Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig. Watt could even be floated as trade bait this offseason, as he's on an undesirable contract on the most expensive defense in the NFL.
Season | Sacks |
|---|---|
2023 | 19.0 |
2024 | 11.5 |
2025 | 7.0 |
Does that look like a Pro Bowl-caliber player? While it'll add another accolade to Watt's extensive, Hall-of-Fame resume, it wasn't earned.
Denzel Ward, Cleveland Browns
I don't have as much of a problem with Ward making the Pro Bowl this time around. He helped anchor a defense that ranked first in the NFL in passing yards allowed. However, he was named as an alternate for a reason, and there were better options available to the league if more players were willing to make the trip.
Ward is 31 years old and, much like Watt, not the player he once was. With his fifth Pro Bowl selection, Ward now has the most in Browns history, passing Frank Minnifield who had four of his own.
Ward was one of several Browns to make the Pro Bowl this time around, but if the NFL were looking to add another Cleveland player to the ranks, they should've considered someone younger and more impactful, such as Quinshow Judkins, Harold Fannin Jr., Carson Schwesinger or Grant Delpit. All could've been added without an argument.
Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
To Travis Kelce's credit, he declined his lifetime achievement award of another Pro Bowl appearance. Kelce is still deciding whether he wants to return for another season in 2026. While he had some productive moments in 2025, including his 851 yards and five touchdowns, he ranked fourth in yards behind the likes of Trey McBride, Kyle Pitts and Juwan Johnson.
Tight end | Receiving yards |
|---|---|
Trey McBride | 1,239 |
Kyle Pitts | 928 |
Juwan Johnson | 889 |
Travis Kelce | 851 |
This is the time the NFL should be introducing its fans to the next Kelce, rather than running back a familiar face due to his fame and connection to pop star Taylor Swift. Kelce's future has been up in the air for the better part of three offseasons now. While he did say that he cannot wait to see former and now current Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy in the Chiefs facility once again on his podcast, New Heights, that is far from a guarantee.
The Pro Bowl should not be used as a chance to watch former NFL greats return to glory one final time, as it's not even a real football game. There's little Kelce would've shown us in a 7-on-7 flag football game that he didn't last season. Hard pass.
Joe Flacco, Cincinnati Bengals
Flacco was named a Pro Bowl alternate by the AFC because no one wants to take part in a 7-on-7 drill. Flacco, who may have played his final season in 2025, spent time with the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals. In Cleveland, he was a veteran stopgap who would eventually make way for Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. With the Bengals, he was an emergency trade acquisition after Joe Burrow went down with an injury.
Flacco is a backup quarterback at this point in his career, at best, which is ironic considering how many QBs passed up the chance to play in the Pro Bowl before he eventually got the call. Flacco is 41 years old and had one of the best spells of his career in Cincinnati, throwing for 13 touchdowns and just four interceptions. He could still have something left to give in a subpar free-agent market.
That being said, Flacco is not a Pro Bowler unless we're redifining what that means. The Pro Bowl is voluntary, after all, but if a vet like Flacco making his first ever appearance is a selling point, perhaps it's best not to play a game whatsoever.
Shedeur Sanders, Cleveland Browns
Words can only go so far to explain how ridiculous it was that Shedeur Sanders was named an AFC Pro Bowl alternate. While Sanders does have an exceptional following – which is why he was likely at the top of the leaderboard for this so-called honor – the numbers detail just how absurd Sanders receiving such an accolade was.
AFC Quarterback | Status | QBR | Yds/Gm | Yds/Att | TD/INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Drake Maye, Patriots | Super Bowl | 77.1 | 285.5 | 8.9 | 31/8 |
Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs | Injured: OUT | 68.6 | 256.2 | 7.1 | 22/11 |
Josh Allen, Bills | Pro Bowler: Questionable | 65.5 | 215.8 | 8.0 | 25/10 |
Daniel Jones, Colts | Injured: OUT | 63.1 | 238.5 | 8.1 | 19.8 |
Joe Burrow, Bengals | 63.1 | 226,1 | 7.0 | 17/5 | |
Lamar Jackson, Ravens | 62.8 | 196.1 | 8.4 | 21/7 | |
CJ Stroud, Texans | 61.6 | 217.2 | 7.2 | 19/8 | |
Justin Herbert, Chargers | Pro Bowler | 60.7 | 232.9 | 7.3 | 26/13 |
Bo Nix, Broncos | Injured: OUT | 58.4 | 231.4 | 6.4 | 25/11 |
Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars | 58.2 | 235.7 | 7.2 | 29/12 | |
Tyrod Taylor, Jets | Injured: Questionable | 51.0 | 129.8 | 5.8 | 5/5 |
Aaron Rodgers, Steelers | 44.3 | 207.6 | 6.7 | 24/7 | |
Davis Mills, Texans | 43.6 | 152.5 | 5.8 | 5/1 | |
Joe Flacco, Bengals | 41.1 | 190.7 | 6.0 | 15/10 | |
Justin Fields, Jets | Injured: OUT | 38.8 | 139.9 | 6.2 | 7/1 |
Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins | 37.6 | 190.0 | 6.9 | 20/15 | |
Jake Browning, Bengals | 35.3 | 154.2 | 6.2 | 6/8 | |
Geno Smith, Raiders | Injured: Questionable | 34.2 | 201.7 | 6.8 | 19/17 |
Cam Ward, Titans | Injured: Questionable | 33.1 | 186.4 | 5.9 | 15/7 |
Dillon Gabriel, Browns | 31.5 | 93.7 | 5.1 | 7/2 | |
Shedeur Sanders, Browns | 18.9 | 175.0 | 6.6 | 7/10 | |
Brady Cook, Jets | 11.7 | 147.8 | 4.8 | 2/7 |
I have nothing against Shedeur personally, but even after just a few starts I can safely say it'd be surprising if he ever makes another Pro Bowl on merit alone. The Browns offense was arguably the worst in the NFL. Even in a 7-on-7 flag football tournament, don't be surprised if Sanders tosses a few floaters to the opposing defense. He made a habit of that during his rookie season.
Perhaps Todd Monken can turn Sanders into a capable NFL quarterback. As has been evidenced by this season's alternates, that's all it takes to make this roster.