The National Football League announced Wednesday that it has ended the Pro Bowl, an annual exhibition featuring the league's top players. The event had been held in some form nearly every year since 1951, with the only previous pause occurring in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The league stated that while the game itself is discontinued, 88 players will still be named as Pro Bowlers and honored in Los Angeles following the conclusion of the current season. The NFL plans to hold several flag football events during that time to coincide with the honors.
According to a news release, the league intends to "elevate" the meaning of the selection by eliminating replacement selections. In previous years, the league allowed substitutes to fill the roster spots of players who were injured or participating in the Super Bowl. This year’s honored roster included Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd, and Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson.
The change follows years of declining popularity for the event. The league previously attempted to sustain interest by moving the game from its long-time home in Honolulu to various cities and, in 2023, transitioning the format from tackle football to flag football. NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent Sr. reportedly held discussions with more than a dozen star players this summer, who expressed a desire for a celebration of the league's all-stars rather than the traditional game format.
For the 32 NFL clubs and their fanbases, the primary way players are recognized will remain an equal-weighted voting process involving players, coaches, and fans. The first set of these "elevated" honors and the accompanying flag football events are scheduled to take place in Los Angeles at the end of the current season. The specific dates for these events and the broadcast schedule for the new format were not reported.