The NFL finally put an end to the Pro Bowl.
On Monday, reports have indicated that the league is going to axe the “All-Star game” concept which has been around since 1951. But there’s something new coming.
The NFL will replace the game with skills competitions, and a flag football game coached by Peyton Manning, involving Manning’s Omaha Productions, which will help to shape the events, and promote programming through the week.
The skills competitions will take place in Las Vegas, and the flag football game will be held at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Raiders, on Sunday, Feb. 5, 2023. The name of the event will be “The Pro Bowl Games,” according to the Associated Press.
NFL executive Peter O’Reilly said in a statement to the AP:
“The Pro Bowl is something that we’ve been looking at for a while, really continuing to evolve. Coming out of last year’s game, we really made the decision based on a lot of internal conversations, getting feedback from GMs and coaches, getting a lot of feedback from players. We think there’s a real opportunity to do something wholly different here and move away from the traditional tackle football game. We decided the goal is to celebrate 88 of the biggest stars in the NFL in a really positive, fun, yet competitive way.
“The feedback very directly from guys who had been in the Pro Bowl recently was to keep the construct of the week, make sure you’re having that multi-day element. It was overwhelmingly positive both from players as well as from clubs.”
Fans will still have a say in determining rosters for the game through a voting process. Beyond that, more information on different skills competitions and other details have yet to be announced.
For years, the Pro Bowl has been criticized for numerous reasons. Players worry about the risk of injury which leads to a diluted product on the field.
While the “new” Pro Bowl will be held in Las Vegas in 2023, the Super Bowl will not. Super Bowl LVII is slated for Feb. 12, 2023, at State Farm Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals.
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