After 75 years, the NFL is scrapping the Pro Bowl. However, the league said Pro Bowl honors will still go to 88 players.
Beginning with the 2026 season, the Pro Bowl class will be announced in late December, but alternates will no longer be named, CBS Sports reported.
“It’s OK to be the first league to walk away from a competitive all-star game,” NFL executive vice president Peter O’Reilly said in a statement, according to ESPN.
Declining interest by fans in the game also factored into the NFL’s decision.
The NFL has eliminated the Pro Bowl games, per a league official. The focus now will shift to celebrating the honor of being a Pro-Bowl selection. pic.twitter.com/YLgdqQXwbf
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 26, 2026
The league held its annual Pro Bowl game from 1951 to 2022 before introducing an alternate version -- the Pro Bowl Games -- that included a flag football game, CBS Sports reported.
There was no game in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead of activities, the league will invite players selected as Pro Bowlers to an in-person celebration in Los Angeles during the weekend when the Pro Bowl Games were held, according to ESPN.
“This direction came directly from our continued conversations with players and what they value most about the Pro Bowl,” NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent said in a statement. “Being selected by your peers, coaches and fans as one of the very best at your position carries tremendous meaning. We heard clearly that the distinction matters, and our focus is on making the recognition that comes with it worthy of what these players accomplished on the field.”
Vincent added that he heard from players that they “don’t want competitive play” after the postseason, ESPN reported.
“You come off the championship games and the viewers see the physicality of the game and you try to replicate that,” he said. “Frankly, it just doesn’t sit well.
“This isn’t a good representation.”
The first 21 Pro Bowls were played in Los Angeles, and Hawaii hosted the game from 1980 through 2009. The game then rotated to several sites, including Miami, Orlando and Las Vegas. Last year’s activities were held in San Francisco.
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