Overview
- The NFL announced on Wednesday that it will discontinue the Pro Bowl matchup that originated in 1938 and has run in various formats for 88 years.
- League officials cited conversations with players and a sharp drop in interest — the most recent broadcast drew just over two million viewers — as reasons for ending the on-field game.
- NFL vice president Troy Vincent said the exhibition’s low intensity created a poor fit with the physicality fans see in the playoffs and harmed the event’s image.
- Pro Bowl voting will continue and the selected players will be invited to a Los Angeles weekend between the conference semifinals and the Super Bowl to receive honors off the field.
- The league said it will redesign how Pro Bowl recognition is presented to better reflect actual season performance, a change that could shift prestige toward new award formats such as All‑Pro lists.