IMAGE DISTRIBUTED FOR NFL - Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, left, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell participate in a panel discussion about the role of innovation in sports at the 1st and Future winner announcement event Saturday, Feb. 3, 2018 in Minneapolis. 1st and Future is the NFL's annual Super Bowl start-up competition designed to spur novel advancements in athlete safety and performance. (Jeff Lewis/AP Images for NFL)Jeff Lewis/AP Images for NFL

Russell Wilson First Suggested Flag Football Game at Pro Bowl, Roger Goodell Says

Doric SamFeb 8, 2023

The 2023 Pro Bowl Games this past weekend looked much different from years past with a revamped skills competition followed by a series of flag football games.

While addressing the media on Wednesday, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell revealed the origins of the idea to go away from a traditional game. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS, Goodell said it was Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson who first made the suggestion to switch to flag football for the league's annual All-Star showcase.

Goodell added that he was satisfied with how this year's iteration of the Pro Bowl played out, and the format could be sticking around for the foreseeable future:

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The NFC wound up topping the AFC 35-33 after the culmination of Sunday's flag football games.

Unfortunately for Wilson, he wasn't able to enjoy the fruits of his idea to Goodell, as he wasn't selected to the Pro Bowl for the second successive year following a disastrous first season in Denver.