NFL ends Pro Bowl after 75 years, will still honor roster at season’s end

The Pro Bowl is no more, the NFL announced Wednesday, ending an exhibition of the league’s top players that was held in some form almost every year since 1951.

The game wasn’t played in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but that was the only pause in the postseason event.

The league said 88 players will still be named as Pro Bowlers and honored in Los Angeles after this season. Several flag football events also will take place at that time.

In a news release, the NFL said it plans to “elevate” Pro Bowl selections, with no replacement selections, who in the past would substitute for injured players or for those playing in that year’s Super Bowl.

This year’s included Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd and Dallas Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson.

“The roster will continue to be determined through an equal- weighted voting process among players, coaches and fans,” the NFL’s statement said.

“The Pro Bowl has always been about recognizing the players who distinguish themselves as the very best in the NFL,” league executive vice president Peter O’Reilly said in a statement. “A Pro Bowl selection will return to its original purpose, honoring the best of the best. We want that distinction to carry even greater meaning for the players, their families, their clubs and our fans.”

The Athletic reported Wednesday that NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent Sr. discussed the state of the Pro Bowl in a call with more than a dozen star players this summer.

Vincent said the players wanted a celebration of the league’s all-stars, according to The Athletic.

The Pro Bowl has also waned in popularity in recent years. Once a staple in Honolulu, the NFL has moved the event to various cities and even switched from tackle to flag football in 2023.