The Pro Bowl is no more.
The NFL confirmed to The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones that the league is ending its all-star game. The annual event was traditionally played the week before the Super Bowl.
“All-Star games, I think, for all leagues have been fraught for a long time, and they haven’t necessarily represented the very best premium of that sport for those players,” NFL executive vice president Peter O’Reilly told Jones. “I think all leagues have struggled with that. We made the switch four years ago from the ‘tackle’ Pro Bowl to the flag game, and that was more strategic for us. In many ways, we saw a decrease in the replacement players.
“But ultimately, the Pro Bowl, at its core, is about honoring the best of the best in that season, on the field, in real games. And the shift here is about shifting the focus from the game — which is ultimately where people’s attention goes, especially the replacement players tied to it — to the honor.”
The NFL began holding the Pro Bowl after the 1950 season at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. In 1972, the game began to travel until it found a new permanent home at Honolulu’s Aloha Stadium in 1980. In 2016, the game relocated to Orlando. As of 2023, the actual football game was eliminated in favour of the “Pro Bowl Games,” a series of skills challenges and flag football.
The game saw waning interest over the years from players and fans alike. Players would frequently withdraw from the event leading to a sometimes comical number of alternates to replace them. In 2023, Baltimore Ravens quarterback Tyler “Snoop” Huntley was named to the Pro Bowl after a season in which he threw for two touchdowns and four interceptions in four starts.
Going forward, 88 players will still receive Pro Bowl honours. Since it is simply a designation, no alternates will be needed. The league also plans to have an in-person gathering in Los Angeles to celebrate their honours.
