Roger Goodell explains why the NFL is ending the Pro Bowl game
The all-star weekend is gone, but the honor stays, and the league says it finally listened to what players actually wanted.
For nearly 90 years, the NFL featured the Pro Bowl, an All-Star game that ended in 2023. Team owners ended the long-standing tradition at meetings in Atlanta, and Commissioner Roger Goodell made the announcement. Goodell had hinted at the end of the Pro Bowl for over a decade, citing concerns about its quality since 2011. Players expressed their desire to be honored and celebrated as Pro Bowl players, leading Goodell to agree with their sentiment.
Starting in 2026, the NFL will honor 88 selected players with an in-person celebration in Los Angeles following the Super Bowl, rather than a competitive event. The league introduced a new player-safety accountability system alongside the Pro Bowl change, developed with the NFL Players Association.
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