Pro Bowl Game Eliminated by NFL, Players Will Still Be Chosen for Honors with No Alternates

The NFL is eliminating the Pro Bowl Game following a presentation from league executives to team owners, according to Jonathan Jones of The Athletic.

Per Jones, the Pro Bowl is set to become an individual performance award with 88 players receiving the honor for each season. There will be no more Pro Bowl alternates.

Instead of a game, Pro Bowlers will be invited to Los Angeles for an in-person celebration in February of each year.

The Pro Bowl format has changed on several occasions in order to generate more fan interest and limit the amount of players opting out, moving from a clash between AFC and NFC stars to two honorary team captains selecting their rosters from 2014-16 before switching back.

Pro Bowl festivities have also been held in different locations including Hawaii, Orlando and San Francisco.

Starting in 2023, the Pro Bowl changed to a flag-football contest while also implementing days of skills challenges that factored into the event.

The 2026 Pro Bowl Games averaged just 1.9 million viewers, representing an all-time low mark for the event (via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk).

NFL executive vice president of club business, international and league events Peter O'Reilly discussed the removal of a game for the Pro Bowl.

"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," O'Reilly told Jones. "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."

Despite the change, fans, players and coaches will still vote on Pro Bowl selections moving forward.