NFL to replace Pro Bowl with flag football game and skill competitions

The NFL Pro Bowl is no more, at least in its current format. According to a report by Rob Maaddi of the Associated Press, the league is planning to replace its full-contact all-star game with a flag football contest as well as several skill competitions.

“You tap into all the stuff that feels great about Pro Bowl week, the skills, the helmets off, the engagement and then culminate that, keeping the AFC-NFC construct, in something that’s really important, which is flag football and that opportunity to have the best athletes in the NFL out there playing this game that is so much about the future of our sport,” NFL executive Per O’Reilly told ESPN.

“It’s been an evolution, but coming out of Las Vegas last year, we really focused on how do we reinvent and celebrate our all-stars even better.”

The Pro Bowl will be rebranded as The Pro Bowl Games, with the 2023 version to be held in Las Vegas. The flag football event itself will take place at Allegiant Stadium on Feb. 5.

The Pro Bowl was originally introduced in 1951. Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady holds the record for most nominations with 15, 14 of which as a Patriot.