NFL owners discussing future of Pro Bowl at league meetings
The days of annual Pro Bowl games serving as actual competitive contests are well in the past. Players participating in the all-star exhibitions spend the majority of such matchups understandably avoiding injuries, and many have elected against playing at all in recent years.
As Michael David Smith explained for Pro Football Talk, the 2022 Pro Bowl drew 6.7 million television viewers. Despite that, the league has possibly seen enough.
Per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport (h/t Nick Shook) and Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, NFL owners are discussing the Pro Bowl's future during this week's league meetings. Changes could be made to the game, or its format could be scrapped, entirely, and replaced by a flag football contest or a virtual experience.
According to Fowler, no vote is required to drastically change the Pro Bowl, and a new format could be announced this summer following discussions involving the NFL Players Association and broadcasters such as NFL Network and ESPN.
PFT's Mike Florio noted that the NFL will likely only replace the Pro Bowl "with something else that will be as profitable" as it pertains to in-person and televised events. While diehard football fans would likely flock to destination cities such as Las Vegas for autograph signings and to watch stars compete in certain challenges, it's unclear how many viewers would tune in to watch a non-contact game on a Sunday afternoon in February.
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