Pro Bowl 2015: Date, Kickoff Time, Unconferenced Rosters, Format and More

There is nothing like a game of backyard football between some of the NFL’s brightest stars in the week between the conference championships and the Super Bowl to help America cope with the lack of a meaningful game.

The 2015 Pro Bowl takes place Sunday as the only remaining football outside of the Super Bowl between now and the long offseason. 

Here is a look at the essential information for that showdown.

2015 Pro Bowl

Date: Sunday, Jan. 25

Location: Glendale, Arizona

Time: 8 p.m. ET 

TV: ESPN

Rosters

QB	Tom Brady, NE	Andrew Luck, Ind	Peyton Manning, Den
	Tony Romo, Dal	Ben Roethlisberger, Pit	Aaron Rodgers, GB
RB	Le'Veon Bell, Pit	Jamaal Charles, KC	Arian Foster, Hou
	Marshawn Lynch, Sea	LeSean McCoy, Phi	DeMarco Murray, Dal
FB	John Kuhn, GB	Marcel Reece, Oak
WR	Antonio Brown, Pit	Dez Bryant, Dal	A.J. Green, Cin
	T.Y. Hilton, Ind	Calvin Johnson, Det	Julio Jones, Atl
	Jordy Nelson, GB	Demaryius Thomas, Den
TE	Jimmy Graham, NO	Rob Gronkowski, NE	Julius Thomas, Den
	Greg Olsen, Car
OT	Ryan Clady, Den	Tyron Smith, Dal	Trent Williams, Was
	Joe Thomas, Cle	Joe Staley, SF	Jason Peters, Phi
C	Travis Frederick, Dal	Jason Kelce, Phi	Nick Mangold, NYJ
	Maurkice Pouncey, Pit
OG	Jahri Evans, NO	Mike Iupati, SF	Kyle Long, Chi
	Zack Martin, Dal	Marshal Yanda, Bal	Josh Sitton, GB
DE	Calais Campbell, Ari	Mario Williams, Buf	J.J. Watt, Hou
	DeMarcus Ware, Den	Cameron Wake, Mia	Robert Quinn, STL
DT	Marcell Dareus, Buf	Aaron Donald, STL	Gerald McCoy, TB
	Kyle Williams, Buf	Ndamukong Suh, Det	Dontari Poe, KC
OLB	Connor Barwin, Phi	Elvis Dumervil, Bal	Tamba Hali, KC
	Justin Houston, KC	Clay Matthews, GB	Von Miller, Den
ILB	Luke Kuechly, Car	C.J. Mosley, Bal	Bobby Wagner, Sea
	Lawrence Timmons, Pit
CB	Vontae Davis, Ind	Brent Grimes, Mia	Joe Haden, Cle
	Chris Harris, Den	Aqib Talib, Den	Richard Sherman, Sea
	Darrelle Revis, NE	Patrick Peterson, Ari
S	Kam Chancellor, Sea	Tashaun Gipson, Cle	Eric Weddle, SD
	T.J. Ward, Den	Earl Thomas, Sea	Glover Quin, Det
K	Stephen Gostkowski, NE	Adam Vinatieri, Ind
P	Kevin Huber, Cin	Pat McAfee, Ind
PR	Devin Hester, Atl	Darren Sproles, Phi
ST	Justin Bethel, Ari	Matthew Slater, NE

Arizona	WR Larry Fitzgerald	CB Antonio Cromartie
Baltimore	RB Justin Forsett	OLB Terrell Suggs	P Sam Koch
	FB Kyle Juszczyk	ST Jacoby Jones
Denver	WR Emmanuel Sanders	RB C.J. Anderson
Detroit	WR Golden Tate	LB DeAndre Levy	QB Matthew Stafford
	S James Ihedigbo
Green Bay	OT David Bakhtiari	OG T.J. Lang	RB Eddie Lacy
	LB Julius Peppers	CB Sam Shields	WR Randall Cobb
	CB Tramon Williams
Houston	T Duane Brown	WR DeAndre Hopkins	C Chris Myers
Indianapolis	S Mike Adams	ILB D'Qwell Jackson
Jacksonville	DT Sen'Derrick Marks	Jacksonville	DT Sen'Derrick Marks
New York Giants	WR Odell Beckham Jr.	DE Jason Pierre-Paul
New York Jets	OT D'Brickashaw Ferguson	RB Chris Ivory	DE Sheldon Richardson
	DT Muhammad Wilkerson
Oakland	S Charles Woodson	OLB Khalil Mack
Philadelphia	K Cody Parkey	OG Evan Mathis	S Chris Maragos
	DT Fletcher Cox	WR Jeremy Maclin
San Diego	TE Antonio Gates	ST Darrell Stuckey	QB Philip Rivers
San Francisco	S Antoine Bethea	OG Alex Boone	ILB Chris Borland
	DT Justin Smith	RB Frank Gore
Seattle	DE Michael Bennett	K Steven Hauschka	OT Russell Okung
	QB Russell Wilson	C Max Unger
Tampa Bay	LB Lavonte David
Washington	OLB Ryan Kerrigan	RB Alfred Morris

There are always changes from the original roster announcements, as injuries and Super Bowl appearances force players to drop out.

Here are some of the early changes: Matthew Stafford replaced Peyton Manning; Jeremy Maclin replaced Demaryius Thomas; Golden Tate then replaced Maclin; Jon Dorenbos was added; Drew Brees replaced Ben Roethlisberger; Emmanuel Sanders replaced Julio Jones; Geno Atkins replaced Ndamukong Suh; Odell Beckham Jr. replaced Calvin Johnson; Duane Brown replaced Jason Peters; Justin Forsett replaced Arian Foster and LeSean McCoy pulled out. 

Follow along with all the roster changes on NFL.com.

Format

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Last season was the first year without the traditional AFC vs. NFC showdown, and the NFL will once again use captains to select the teams in a fashion similar to a fantasy squad. The two honorary captains are former wide receivers Cris Carter and Michael Irvin, and the game will pit Team Carter against Team Irvin.

Pro Bowl invitees Antonio Brown, J.J. Watt, Joe Haden and DeMarco Murray will also help select the teams.

Interestingly, there will be no kickoffs this season, and the ball will start at the 25-yard line after scores and at the start of each quarter. The ball also changes hands after each quarter, and the game clock will stop after the play if the offense doesn’t gain at least one yard in the final two minutes of a quarter.

Here is a complete list of rule changes, via NFL.com.

What to Watch: Competitiveness Level

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

In past years, the only genuine interest from NFL players in the Pro Bowl seemed to come because it meant a free trip to Hawaii. That was especially the case when the game took place after the Super Bowl because by then players’ vacations had officially started.

However, changing the format to a fantasy draft style with Hall of Famers on the sidelines inserted a spark of intensity last season and will likely do the same in 2015.

Now, the game can feature teammates against teammates or players who were passed up in the draft process for others squaring off with each other. There was plenty of drama in last season’s version when it came down to the end and finished with a 22-21 score.

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

The fact that Carter (who has eight career Pro Bowl appearances) and Irvin (five career Pro Bowls) are on the sidelines also adds another layer of intrigue as two of the best wide receivers of all time. Fans may be interested in how they interact with each other considering Irvin criticized Carter for his response to the Josh Gordon situation earlier in the year.

For his part, Irvin already seemed ready, via Josh Katzowitz of CBS Sports: “Some of my favorite NFL memories were from my Pro Bowl trips. I can't wait to see which players get the Pro Bowl nod this season. I'm already thinking about how to build my team.”

In terms of on the field, fans are going to miss out on what could have been an entertaining subplot of the game at the cornerback position. Few spots in the league isolate performers as much as the cornerback position, and players like Richard Sherman, Patrick Peterson and Darrelle Revis are all on the roster.

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

However, Revis and Sherman are both heading to the Super Bowl and won’t get a chance to show off their stuff in the same game as Peterson. The presence of all three of them on the same field would have likely turned competitive. 

Of course, Revis and Sherman will get plenty of press leading up to their Super Bowl showdown, as Dan Graziano of ESPN pointed out:

Even without the cornerback aspect of the game, this Pro Bowl figures to be competitive with NFL players lacing it up for pride as well after some are inevitably passed over in the fantasy draft to determine the rosters.

It could serve as a motivational factor if anyone is feeling slighted, which will lead to a more intense game. 

A few of those in a row could help bolster the image of the Pro Bowl as a walkthrough practice and into an actual competitive showdown between some of the league’s top players. 

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