Add The New York Post on Google The NFL Pro Bowl is going the way of the dodo.
There won’t be any kind of Pro Bowl game or event held anymore, The Athletic reported Wednesday. Instead of an All-Star game, 88 players will be named Pro Bowlers and get honored during a February celebration in Los Angeles. The Pro Bowl voting process will remain intact.
“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 executive vice president of club business, international and league events, told The Athletic. “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.
“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. 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.”
Russell Wilson and wife Ciara pose for a photo after the Pro Bowl in Oahu, Hawaii on Jan. 31, 2016. Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Christian McCaffery smiles after scoring a touchdown during the 2026 Pro Bowl Games on Feb. 3, 2026. Getty Images The Pro Bowl began in 1951. The NFL switched the format in 2023 from a normal football game to the “Pro Bowl Games,” which featured skill competitions and a flag football contest.
It was held in Los Angeles for the first 22 years and then bounced around before it moved to Aloha Stadium in Hawaii in 1979. It remained there every year through 2008 and hosted five more Pro Bowls.
