Just when the AFC needed a boost against the NFC’s dominance in Pro Bowl games, Peyton Manning’s AFC is set for a spark in their chances to secure its first win in Pro Bowl games since the change in format. See, the first day of the 2025 Pro Bowl games witnessed Eli Manning’s NFC take a 14-7 lead over his brother’s AFC. Considering how the NFC has dominated the AFC in the last two years, that scorecard wasn’t really surprising. However, the AFC could field a game-changer in Russell Wilson on Sunday to finally topple the NFC’s supremacy.

The thing is, Russ was named in the Pro Bowl as a replacement for Josh Allen, who couldn’t play because of an injury. His appearance makes him just the fifth player to secure 10 Pro Bowls. Imagine Wilson has left behind Hall of Famers, like John Elway, and is only 4 shy of matching Peyton Manning’s 14 Pro Bowls. While that could be a bit difficult to achieve, you know what isn’t impossible right now? Beating Eli in Pro Bowls like that’s what Wilson believes.

When talking about playing under Peyton Manning, Wilson only has one goal, and that’s to defeat Eli, “It will be good one we gotta get the win, and we gotta make sure we beat Eli. See, beating Eli won’t be a walk in the park. After six challenges on Thursday, his NFC is already leading by 7 points. It’s not a huge lead, but it could be enough to secure a third consecutive dub over Peyton’s AFC. Thanks to Jared Goff’s 44 points and Sam Darnold’s 39 points in the first challenge. The NFC secured 3 points to start this year’s Pro Bowls.

Then it was Justin Jefferson who stood out in the second Pro Bowl event, leaving behind the likes of Ja’Marr Chase and Derek Stingley Jr. Their struggle to catch footballs using mascot hands proved costly. Well, the next event finally allowed the AFC to open their account in Pro Bowl games. Quinnen Williams’ spike helped the AFC cut the NFC’s 6-point lead to just 3 going into the fourth event. Next up was the Newlywed game, where teammates’ knowledge about each other was put into question. And thanks to the Green Bay Packers, the NFC took home the 3 points.

After two more events, the scores of this year’s Pro Bowl stood at 14-7 on the first night. So, who knows, maybe Wilson’s arrival could help the AFC secure their first dub in Pro Bowls games in three years. Now, considering Wilson’s name in the Pro Bowl, NFL legend J.J. Watt had a thing or two to say about the Pro Bowl authenticity.

J.J. Watt questions Russell Wilson’s Pro Bowl honor

When the likes of Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Bo Nix couldn’t make the Pro Bowls because of underlying injuries, the NFL had to dig deeper into their QB pools to secure replacements. And they with the likes of Drake Maye and Russell Wilson. Both Maye and Wilson didn’t really have a great year that deserved Pro Bowl accolades. Maye went 3-9 as a starter in his first year with the Patriots. As for Wilson, he finished his first season with the Steelers, going 6-5 as a starter.

And that’s the thing that didn’t bode well in the eyes of J.J. Watt, “When you get 5 alternates deep, just call it the Participation Bowl.” While Watt’s message may not resonate with the likes of Maye and Wilson, it did receive a resounding ovation on the internet. One fan wrote, “Yeah, you cooked with this one. That’s exactly what this silly thing should be called.” Now, there was another fan who added more fuel to the fire, replying, “When a player makes the Pro Bowl it should be titled correctly Pro Bowl, 5th Alternate, etc. Diminishes the original Pro Bowl selection title.”

Like there won’t be many people who disagree with this notion. Yeah, Maye and Wilson may have been deserving Pro Bowlers if they were selected as first choice. However, they weren’t, so questioning their participation isn’t a baseless point, to say the least.