The Pro Bowl is struggling to avoid mockery across the NFL community, and New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields’ decision not to accept an invite didn’t help, either. The shot-caller reportedly received an invite right before the games to fill out the teams, but he wasn’t interested in participating. What did league experts have to say about it?
Calls Mount for the Pro Bowl To Be Canceled After Justin Fields Declines Invite
The Pro Bowl has been rapidly declining for several years now. The event’s shift to flag football and skills challenges in 2023 stood as an open admission that players aren’t taking the game seriously anymore.
However, as if things couldn’t get any worse, this year saw a new downturn for the Pro Bowl. Firstly, Cleveland Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders’s invitation undermined the event’s credibility. Sanders went 3-4 as a starter, throwing for 1,400 yards, seven touchdowns, and 10 interceptions this season.
Moreover, Jets quarterback Fields receiving an invite was another heavy blow to the Pro Bowl’s value. Fields went 2-7 this campaign, throwing for even fewer yards than Sanders (1,259), and he got benched multiple times. To add insult to injury, Fields declined the invite.
“One note before the Pro Bowl Games on Tuesday: #Jets QB Justin Fields was asked to participate, I’m told,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted. “He declined, focusing on his offseason training.”
The NFL world had a field day. “It’s time to cancel the Pro Bowl,” Bet MGM responded. “Shedeur Sanders made the team with 7 TD/10 INT – 42-year-old Joe Flacco made the team with a 2-8 record – Justin Fields turned down the event, and he got benched multiple times.”
“Starting to think I’m the only person who didn’t get invited to the Pro Bowl,” fantasy football expert Luke Christensen said. This year may mark the steepest decline the Pro Bowl has seen since it began losing significance in the 90s and 2000s.
“This tweet alone should be the end of the Pro Bowl,” Knicks Memes commented. Players who don’t take the event seriously are nothing new. However, this year’s Pro Bowl stands as the first time the selection committee has completely gone off the rails with its picks.
“Lmao,” betting page Onyx tweeted along with Fields’s poor season stats (1,259-7-1, QBR 38.8). Bet MGM didn’t hold back, joking that Fields’s reported offseason training has a lot to do with finding a new job.
“Fields offseason training,” Bet MGM also posted, with a LinkedIn practice vest. “What are we doing,” “Chicago Bears Now” host Harrison Graham said. Beyond all the mockery, fans can look forward to a fun event in San Francisco, with unserious players matching their skills.
