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The National Football League will replace the Pro Bowl with a unique new format as part of "The Pro Bowl Games," the Associated Press reported on Monday (September 26).
The league will hold weeklong skills competitions and a flag football game featuring AFC and NFC players, replacing the full-contact matchup initially launched in 1951.
The upcoming 2023 Pro Bowl Games will be held in Las Vegas, which will include the flag football game at Allegiant Stadium -- the site of the 2022 Pro Bowl -- on Sunday, February 5.
“The Pro Bowl is something that we’ve been looking at for a while, really continuing to evolve,” NFL executive Peter O’Reilly told the AP. “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.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and his Omaha Productions company will be tasked with shaping programming and promoting content throughout the week of the Pro Bowl Games.
Manning, a 14-time Pro Bowl selection, is also expected to provide feedback and participate as a coach in the flag football game.
“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.”