NFL ends Pro Bowl after 75 years

The NFL announced on Wednesday that it is ending the Pro Bowl, an exhibition game that has showcased the league's top talent since 1951. The event, which was held annually with the exception of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will no longer feature a traditional game. Despite the cancellation of the match, the league stated that 88 players will still be named as Pro Bowlers and honored in Los Angeles at the end of the season. The celebration will also include several flag football events. Peter O'Reilly, the league's executive vice president, stated that the selection process will return to its original purpose of honoring the "best of the best," with the roster continuing to be determined by an equal-weighted vote among players, coaches, and fans. The decision follows a decline in the event's popularity in recent years, during which the NFL had experimented with different locations and a shift from tackle to flag football in 2023.