NFL scrapping Pro Bowl, maintaining player distinctions

The NFL is scrapping the annual Pro Bowl competition, the league announced, according to The Athletic’s Jonathan Jones.

The Pro Bowl has taken place since 1951 in some capacity.

While there won’t be a standalone game, 88 players will still receive Pro Bowl honors with no alternates selected, Jones adds.

“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,” Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s executive vice president of club business, international and league events, 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.”

Instead of taking part in a game, all players chosen to be Pro Bowlers will be invited to Los Angeles for an in-person celebration in February. The voting process will remain the same with fans, players, and coaches having equally-weighted ballots to determine the 88 Pro Bowlers across both conferences.

“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,” O’Reilly added. “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.”

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