The NFL is considering ditching the Pro Bowl for good.
During the annual owner’s meetings on Tuesday, NFL execs and team owners discussed possibly replacing it with alternative events, though they haven’t come up with a solid plan yet. One possible replacement would be a seven-on-seven no tackling competition during the week off between the conference title games and Super Bowl. Sports commentator Ian Rapoport has also suggested that the NFL use that Sunday to highlight players who have been selected for the Pro Bowl without actually holding the tournament.
The Pro Bowl has long been the topic of scrutiny, with many wondering why the match still existed. Serving as an exhibition game, there is not much at stake for players aside from an $80,000 payment to those on the winning team and $40,000 to players on the losing team. The league attempted to make the game more appealing by switching the locations and even appointing team captains and assigning each franchise’s roster through a fantasy football-style draft. As the COVID-19 pandemic continued to loom, the game went virtual in 2021, becoming even more uninteresting to fans.
Poor TV ratings have been an obvious indicator of the lack of interest surrounding the pro game. Less than 7 million viewers watched last year’s Pro Bowl.
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