No more Pro Bowl! The pointless, contactless exhibition walkthrough of a game is finally ending.
Numerous reports on Monday morning indicate the NFL has decided to end the annual Pro Bowl game. It will be replaced with a longer celebration of the top players and feature a skills competition instead. It will include a flag football game and various other football and non-football skills, with the flag football game taking place at the home of the Las Vegas Raiders on Saturday, February 5th.
Per the AP, Peyton Manning’s production company will help plan the programming and promote the updated Pro Bowl format. Players will still earn Pro Bowl designations and any associated contractual bonuses.
The exhibition game has devolved into a slow-paced touch football game that most players attempt to get out of playing in, and the diminished fan attendance and viewership reflects the declining interest in a game that began in 1951.