As the NFL season concludes, the 2025 Pro Bowl Games begin this weekend in Orlando. But should the NFL scrap the whole weekend due to its mixed reviews?
At the end of the season, the league puts on a show for the fans by bringing all the season’s top talent to participate in its annual Pro Bowl. It’s a weekend full of fun and games, with a shot at bragging rights for the players and each franchise.
I can understand the reason and the concept of why it’s doing what it’s doing. However, I also have some concerns about how the weekend is formatted and what it has players doing.
Pro: Promoting, protecting through flag football
Flag football has been underrated and misunderstood by many. People think flag football is as dangerous as tackle football, which is far from the truth. They overlook flag football, but the NFL uses it as a platform to promote a different form of plain-old football.
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According to the NFL, flag football has been a “critical piece” of the NFL. People play flag football worldwide; it brings a sense of community to the Pro Bowl when the professional football players play it on screen.
It is great for the league and its players as they go back to the feeling of playing backyard football. The flag football game brings back the fun feeling the players had when they were kids. You can tell how much more fun they have messing around than when trying to win the game.
NFL players are also happy with this format because they can put a show on for the fans without worrying about a major injury. 18 weeks of grueling practices and games takes a toll on a player’s body. In the end, the Pro Bowl is made for the fans. There is no need for unnecessary hits that can cause more damage to the players.
The offseason is made for recovery before the training camp. For athletes in the Pro Bowl, they want to enjoy the experience but not delay any of that time to get their bodies right. Those in the Pro Bowl are the most valued players in a franchise. One small accidental injury can destroy a team’s chance of success next season.
Con: Missing the moments
One of the best things that comes out of the Pro Bowl is the plethora of fun, exciting moments that fans remember for years. Sadly, the more recent Pro Bowls just haven’t had that same feel.
Perhaps a bit contradictory to what was previously stated about player safety, many people remember Commanders safety Sean Taylor laying out Bills kicker Brian Moorman. Even though it seemed like Moorman would feel that tackle the next morning, people still talk about that moment nearly 20 years later.
Intense, exciting moments are what define a sporting event. Before, the Pro Bowl was known for making moments from its mini-games or the big game at the end. But now, it feels like there are no stand-out moments.
The NFL knows what it is lacking. That is why it has tried different ways to reinvent Pro Bowl weekend. It has added different mini-games, changed the format to flag football and even added some family rivalry between two former quarterbacks.
Even with all these changes, it still feels like something is missing. It’s not what it used to be, and the lack of noteworthy moments causes the Pro Bowl to sit in the back of people’s minds.
Pro: Sibling rivalry
One of the most entertaining things to come out of the Pro Bowl recently is the newly sparked sibling rivalry between Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning and his brother, former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.
Their competitiveness brings out a new sense of entertainment to Pro Bowl weekend. Manning versus Manning is a great example of what the NFL loves to use in their events, and the rivalry has been fun to watch in the past two Pro Bowl games.
Eli Manning has gotten the best of his older brother in their first two matchups. Heading into this year’s Pro Bowl, the stakes feel much higher to see if the younger brother can stay undefeated against the older brother.
Con: ‘Pointless’ skills showdown mini-games
One massive critique surrounding the Pro Bowl is the mini-game competition. Don’t get me wrong, I am a fan of these games — it has just come to a point where they feel pointless.
Some of the games are great and show off players’ true skills. The skills showdown should highlight the league’s best-skilled players, but having your league’s best players play dodgeball or golf isn’t quite the way to go.
At the end of the day, the Pro Bowl is like the NFL’s version of an All-Star weekend. Like the MLB, the NHL and the NBA, the NFL brings in its top talent and shows them off on a grand stage. If it wants to turn the Pro Bowl back into being a must-see event, the NFL should have some individual incentives that go along with it.
MLB has the home run derby, the NBA has its slam dunk contest and the NHL has its one-on-one shootouts. The NFL doesn’t have a similar defining skill game that excites fans or makes the Pro Bowl a must-see.
There are some games that could be used to replicate these sensational moments, like precision passing, best catch or, one of my favorites, the gridiron gauntlet. But the NFL hasn’t cracked the code just yet.
Revamped Pro Bowl weekend
If I were to organize the Pro Bowl, here is what I would do to enhance it.
Right now, the Pro Bowl is doing a little too much. For the NFL, simple is better. You already have the Super Bowl and NFL Awards the week after, so there isn’t a need to make the Pro Bowl bigger.
On the first day, have a celebrity flag football game, just like how the other leagues do it. It will get a lot of people talking.
On Saturday, host a few skills competitions and continue the NFC vs. AFC format. The events should award individual trophies just as the NBA and MLB do with the dunk contest and home run derby, respectively.
The NFL should keep the number of games short but make them seem more important than their current state. This means it should remove the current point system and instead award points to the team that wins each game over the weekend.
The final flag football game should ultimately determine which team is better. That final day should have the most hype out of all the days. That way, there is more intensity around the game, making it a more thrilling watch. Remember, just because the scoreboard is showing high numbers doesn’t mean that it is more entertaining to the viewers.
The Pro Bowl isn’t dead; it has just lost its way. There is a way to bring back its glory, but the NFL needs to rethink its whole format.
@Jon_Mathew23